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07 November 2020
2 min of reading
Source / Disclosures
Sirotich E. Abstract # 0007. Presented at: ACR Convergence 2020; 5-9 November 2020 (virtual meeting).
Disclosures: Sirotich reports being a member of the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance and a member of the steering committee of the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance.
Shortage of antimalarial drugs due to COVID-19 has affected more rheumatology patients in regions of Africa and East Asia than those in the Americas and Europe, observed data from the COVID-19 Patient Experience Survey. Global Rheumatology Alliance.
The results of the survey, which began in April, showed that patients who suffered deficiencies also reported poor physical and mental health.
“With the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, global research and the medical community have come together to explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and identify potential treatments for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Emily Sirotich, a the doctoral student at the McMaster Center for Transfusion Research in Hamilton, Ontario, and the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance patient engagement officer, said Healio Rheumatology.
“Antimalarials, such as hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, were considered potential treatments for the virus, and various clinical trials around the world have sought to explore their effectiveness in treating SARS-CoV-2 infection,” he added. “Since hydroxychloroquine is an essential treatment for RA and lupus, reported antimalarial drug shortages have become a major concern.”
In the early days of the pandemic, the alleged advantage of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine to fight SARS-CoV-2 led to global shortages for patients and providers in the rheumatology community. The COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance, a grassroots organization made up of academic and community rheumatologists, scientists, researchers and patient partners, quickly formed and created the Patient Experience Survey to review the available evidence on the effectiveness of these antimalarials. on COVID-19 and the effects of patient shortages in the community.
Sirotich and colleagues distributed the survey online via social media and patient support organizations. Respondents (n = 9,393) included patients with rheumatic disease or parents of pediatric rheumatology patients who provided anonymous information about their diagnosis, any medications, COVID-19 status, and disease outcomes. The researchers then examined the effects of the deficiency on the patients’ physical and mental health by comparing mean values with independent bilateral t tests to identify significant differences, according to Sirotich.
Nearly half of the respondents (41.2%) were taking antimalarials, with 6.2% of them unable to continue dosing due to a shortage of pharmacies, according to the results. More patients in African regions (26.7%) and Southeast Asia (21.4%) reported shortages in their pharmacies than those in the Americas (6.8%) and Europe (2.1%), Sirotich said.
Activity levels of rheumatic disease were reportedly higher among patients who experienced drug deficiency than those who did not (P. <.001). Additionally, those affected by deficiencies reported worse mental and physical health (P. <.001 for both).
COVID-19 infection was reported in 519 patients, of which 68 (13.1%) indicated that an antimalarial had been prescribed to treat their infection. Infection rates were similar between patients taking antimalarials versus those who were not (6.7% vs 4.7%) and 10.8% of patients with COVID-19 who were taking antimalarials reported hospitalization .
“This study highlights the importance of maintaining scientific rigor even in the context of a pandemic to prevent the harmful consequences of drug reuse without adequate evidence for the benefit,” Sirotich said. “Patients who rely on access to their prescriptions of hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine for their rheumatic diseases have been impacted by the support of hydroxychloroquine use in the treatment of COVID-19 infection. The regional disparities noted in our study also underline the need to ensure global access to essential medicines in a fair and equitable way. “
Annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology
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