Novartis To Donate Up To 130 Million Doses Of Hydroxychloroquine To Treat Covid-19

On Friday, 20 March, Novartis announced its commitment to donate up to 130 million doses of generic hydroxychloroquine to support the global COVID-19 pandemic response. Hydroxychloroquine and a related drug, chloroquine, are currently under evaluation in clinical trials for the treatment of COVID-19.

When supported for use in COVID-19 infected patients by regulatory authorities, Novartis plans to donate up to 130 million 200 mg doses by the end of May, including its current stock of 50 million 200 mg doses. The company is also exploring further scaling of capacity to increase supply and is committed to working with manufacturers around the world to meet global demand.

Novartis Sandoz division currently only holds a registration for hydroxychloroquine in the U.S., and will pursue appropriate regulatory authorizations from the U.S. FDA and the European Medicines Agency. In its related press release, the company announced that it will work with stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, to determine the best distribution of the medicine to ensure broad access to patients most in need of this medicine globally.