Hydroxychloroquine (brand name Plaquenil) [and the related drug, chloroquine (brand name Arelene)] has been in the news for its alleged ability to treat coronavirus, mostly due to President Trump’s advocacy on its use during the pandemic. This subject has ‘divided the medical community’ according to The New York Times. The American Society for Biochemisty and Molecular Biology reports that there are few published papers on this subject, acknowledging that one small study in France was 'encouraging,' however, other reports indicate that hydroxychloroguine are 'not effective for treating coronavirus.' [1] Hydroxychloroquine has been shown to be effective in treating rosacea. [2] Duffman reported in April 2017, "The only thing that finally worked for me with long lasting, real remission, is plaquenil." [3] Dan Charles, on April 3, 2020, NPR reports, "Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institutes of Health was asked March 24 whether the drug was considered a treatment for the novel coronavirus."The answer is no," he said, "and the evidence that you're talking about ... is anecdotal evidence." " James Hamblin, MD, staff writer for The Atlantic, wrote an article on the history of this subject on April 6, 2020 explaining in detail how the president has been advocating the use of this drug for the coronavirus epidemic, and concludes, "It is unclear how hydroxychloroquine would work to treat COVID-19, but the drug is one of many now being urgently studied for the treatment of the disease." [4] One other anti-parasitic drug being studied is ivermectin, another treatment for rosacea. [5] The American Academy of Ophthalmology states on its website concerning hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine that, "These drugs may stop the immune system from going overboard in its attack on the virus." [6] If you are interested in a clinical trial with hydroxychloroquine you may want to contact Elizabeth Oelsner, Columbia University. Of course, you won't be able to know whether you actually receive hydrochloroquine or the placebo. The CDC lists on it's Information for Clinicians on Therapeutic Options for COVID-19 Patients that "Hydroxychloroquine is currently under investigation in clinical trials for pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and treatment of patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19." A Chinese clinical study published in Cell Discovery concluded, "In conclusion, our results show that HCQ can efficiently inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. In combination with its anti-inflammatory function, we predict that the drug has a good potential to combat the disease. This possibility awaits confirmation by clinical trials." [7]  End notes [1] A small trial finds that hydroxychloroquine is not effective for treating coronavirus, Katherine Seley-Radtke, April 05, 2020, ASBMBTODAY [2] Int Immunopharmacol. 2020 Jan 06;79:106178 Hydroxychloroquine is a novel therapeutic approach for rosacea. Li J, Yuan X, Tang Y, Wang B, Deng Z, Huang Y, Liu F, Zhao Z, Zhang Y [3] Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine) [4] Why Does the President Keep Pushing a Malaria Drug?, The Atlantic The Guardian also has its version of the history of this subject.  [5] Ivermectin Treats Coronavirus [6] Treating Coronavirus With Plaquenil and Aralen, Reena Mukamal, AAO [7] Cell Discov 6, 16 (2020).  Hydroxychloroquine, a less toxic derivative of chloroquine, is effective in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro Jia Liu, Ruiyuan Cao, Mingyue Xu, Xi Wang, Huanyu Zhang, Hengrui Hu, Yufeng Li, Zhihong Hu, Wu Zhong & Manli Wang

Two is better than one: The combined effects of glycolic acid and salicylic acid on acne-related disorders. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020 Apr 06;: Authors: Wiegmann D, Haddad L Abstract BACKGROUND: Many companies capitalized on treatable skin conditions by providing expensive prescription medications or high-end over-the-counter cosmetics. However, patients have become more apprehensive toward these medications in lieu of their often-detrimental side effect profile and reactivity with sensitive skin. AIMS: We developed a serum was created to counteract this budding problem. Our goal was to bring an alternative prescription acne medication that was superior in controlling acne when compared to several OTC and prescription-strength medications. We created a new formulary comprising primarily of all natural glycolic acid and salicylic acid. PATIENTS/METHODS: We designed a prospective study to assess the efficacy of our serum composed of glycolic and salicylic acid for patients suffering from mild to moderate inflammatory and cystic acne, rosacea, folliculitis, and keratosis pilaris. Sixty-six patients were selected ranging in age from 17 to 46. They were asked to apply the wake-up serum at night for 2 weeks. At the follow-up appointment, the patients were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding the changes they have noticed with their skin. RESULTS: Over 90% of the patients reported they had significant overall improvement in acne with decrease in comedonal and cystic acne. 70%-80% of the patients stated decrease in oiliness, even texture, and smoother looking skin. Physical examination findings were consistent with patient-reported assessment. CONCLUSION: A glycolic and salicylic acid combination serum may be considered an alternative treatment method for patients who wish to opt out of the typical prescription medication treatment. PMID: 32250551 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] {url} = URL to article

Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation amongst Patients with Facial Dermatoses (Acne, Rosacea, Perioral Dermatitis, and Folliculitis) in Lithuania. Dermatology. 2020 Apr 06;:1-9 Authors: Lukaviciute L, Ganceviciene R, Navickas P, Navickas A, Grigaitiene J, Zouboulis CC Abstract BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Skin diseases, especially those with visible manifestation, are considered to cause a major influence on global mental health. Therefore, we determined the prevalence and severity of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in a large sample of patients with facial dermatoses, namely acne, rosacea, folliculitis, and perioral dermatitis. METHODS: The mental health of patients with facial dermatoses and respective controls was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and questions concerning suicidal ideation. RESULTS: The study included 543 patients with facial dermatoses and 497 healthy individuals. Anxiety was present in 37.6% of the patients (14.9% of controls), depression in 21.7% (6.8%), and suicidal thoughts in 9.8% (3.2%) (p < 0.001). Acne patients demonstrated the highest anxiety and depression subscale scores (mean ± standard deviation: 7.1 ± 0.25, 95% confidence interval (CI): 6.58-7.56; controls: 5 ± 0.23, 95% CI: 4.57-5.49). In rosacea 30% of the patients had depression symptoms (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 7.216, 95% CI: 4.122-12.632, p < 0.001), while in folliculitis patients 15.4% (OR: 3.138, 95% CI: 1.241-7.936, p = 0.016) had suicidal thoughts. Patients with anxiety symptoms and suicidal thoughts were on average younger than those without (28.3 ± 0.76 vs. 31.2 ± 0.66 years, p = 0.001 and 25.3 ± 0.98 vs. 30.5 ± 0.55 years, p = 0.007, respectively). CONCLUSION: Acne and rosacea are associated with anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation in Lithuanian patients. Younger patients are more prone to report such symptoms than older ones. PMID: 32252051 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] {url} = URL to article

In a related news item, Ivermectin, another anti-parasitic drug, has been purported to treat coronavirus.

In a related news item, Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine), another anti-parasitic drug, has been purported to treat coronavirus. Read the third post in this thread.