SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Sanford Health will lead a comprehensive clinical trial investigating the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, to understand its role in treating and potentially preventing COVID-19.
The controlled study will initially include 2,000 outpatient individuals exposed to COVID-19, including frontline healthcare workers and other high-risk patients.
There are no drugs or therapeutics approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to prevent or treat COVID-19. Current clinical management includes infection prevention and supportive care.
Dr Allison Suttle, Sanford’s chief medical officer, says hydroxychloroquine is one of the therapeutics that is under investigation in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with mild, moderate and severe COVID-19.
Sanford currently has clinical guidelines in place to prescribe hydroxychloroquine to hospitalized COVID-19 positive patients.
Suttle made the announcement with Governor Kristi Noem in Sioux Falls this morning.
(Jerry Oster, WNAX, contributed this report.)
