Patients over equal or older than 65 yearswill be treated with a hydroxychloroquine versus placebo reduced loading dose of 600mg on the first day followed with 400mg/day divided in 2x200mg for 6 more days resulting in a total duration of therapy of 7 days. Measurement of Hydroxychloroquine-levels will be performed on day 7, . A follow-up by video or telephone conference will be performed to observe drug intake and collect adverse events during treatment phase on a daily base on working days and once during the weekend (i.e. 6 out of 7 days). After treatment phase follow-up by telephone calls will be done on day 10, 30, 60 (+/- 2 days).
Drug: Hydroxychloroquine
dose of 600mg on the first day followed with 400mg/day divided in 2x200mg for 6 more days
Other: Placebo
Placebo: Film Coated Tablette
Inclusion Criteria:
- Written informed consent
- Age ≥ 65 years
- Mild to moderate symptomatic respiratory tract Infection defined as not requiring
hospital admission: SpO2 >94%, respiratory rate <20, mental state alert, no signs of
septic shock
- Proven SARS-Cov2 infection by throat swab (PCR)
- Onset of symptoms within the last 3 days before randomization
- Must be able to adhere to the study visit schedule and other protocol requirements in
the investigator's opinion. I.e. must be able to answer to questions concerning
symptoms and side effects and must be able to consent to the informed consent.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Hospitalization at study inclusion
- Weight <50 kg
- Acute myocardial infarction
- Severe heart failure, characterized as NYHA class 3 or 4
- Use of concomitant medications that prolong the QT/QTc interval.
- QTc >450ms
- Bilirubin ≥ 1,5 x UNL, (except for known M. Meulengracht)
- AST/ALT ≥ 3 x ULN
- Albumine ≤ 2.8 g/dl
- Hemoglobin ≤ 9 g/dl
- Leucocytes ≤ 2000/µl
- Neutrophiles ≤ 1000/µl
- Thrombocytes ≤ 100.000/µl
- Troponin elevation
- BNP > 500 pg/ml
- Creatine kinase > 5 x ULN
- Creatinine >1,5 mg/dl
- Uncorrected hypopotassemia or hypomagnesemia
- History of hypoglycemic events
- History of or present cardial arrhythmia (except atrial fibrillation or paroxysmal
supraventricular tachycardia)
- Bradycardia < 60 beats/min
- History of Retinopathy or Maculopathy
- Psoriasis
- Myasthenia gravis
- Epilepsy
- Immunodeficiency syndromes or need for highly immunosuppressive medication
- Pre-existing medication with hydroxychloroquine
- Known G6PD deficiency.
- Participation in another interventional study
- Known hypersensibility to hydroxychloroquine and its derivates
Uniklinikum Tuebingen
Tuebingen, Germany
Uniklinikum Ulm
Ulm, Germany