SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Sanford Health announced Friday that the South Dakota hydroxychloroquine trial has been discontinued.
According to a Sanford Health release, it was cut after new research finds the drug was not helping prevent COVID-19.
The results of that research by the University of Minnesota was published in the New England Journal of Medicine earlier this week. It was one of the country’s first randomized trials of the drug. Sanford’s release stated that the university study was similar to the South Dakota trial and “found no benefit of hydroxychloroquine over a placebo as a post-exposure preventative therapy.”
Health Secretary Kim Malsom-Rysdon was asked about it during today’s COVID-19 update call.
“The reason is that the University of Minnesota this week published results from a very similar study that shows hyrdoxycholoriquine did not have a benefit over a placebo as a post exposure preventive therapy. And so, the research team felt that we would unlikely see a different result after seeing that data.”
Dr. Susan Hoover, Sanford Health infections disease doctor and principal investigator of the study said in the release says they remain focused on their goal of advancing the science around this virus and will continue to pursue other COVID-19 research.
