Natco donates Chloroquine for international study to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection

Natco Pharma Ltd said on Tuesday it has donated Chloroquine phosphate tablets through its marketing partner in the United States Rising Pharmaceuticals to support a global clinical trial conducted by the CROWN Collaborative for protecting essential healthcare workers from COVID-19 virus.

Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis is the clinical coordinating centre for this ambitious international trial.

The group called the COVID-19 Research Outcomes Worldwide Network (CROWN) Collaborative is testing whether the anti-malaria drug Chloroquine can prevent COVID-19 infection or decrease its severity in frontline healthcare workers.

The Collaborative and the trial are funded by the COV/0-19 Therapeutics Accelerator, an initiative with contributions from an array of public and philanthropic donors including Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Conducted at multiple sites in North America, Europe, the United Kingdom and Africa, CROWN Coronation will evaluate the protective potential of weekly, twice weekly or daily doses of Chloroquine when compared with placebo in frontline healthcare workers at high risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

The trial aims to include at least 30,000 subjects across the frontline healthcare workers.

Natco Pharma has been supplying Chloroquine phosphate tablets, a US FDA approved drug, through its marketing partner to the United States since 2011. More recently, Natco's alternate facility in Vizag has also been approved to supply the same drug.

Chloroquine phosphate tablets are indicated predominantly for the treatment of malaria. "There is an urgent need to identify a drug to protect essential healthcare workers and Natco is very glad to help battle this unprecedented crisis engulfing the world," it said in a statement.

( With inputs from ANI )