Faced with a global pandemic of a virus previously unknown to humans, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is leading a clinical trial to understand if hydroxychloroquine, a well-known drug used for malaria and rheumatologic conditions, is safe and effective in treating hospitalized adults with COVID-19.
The ORCHID trial (Outcomes Related to COVID-19 treated with Hydroxychloroquine among In-patients with symptomatic Disease), funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health, enrolled its first patient on April 2 and will include hundreds of patients to determine if hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment against the virus projected to hospitalize thousands of U.S. residents in the coming weeks.