Fervent defender of hydroxychloroquine Philippe Douste-Blazy is not shaken by the results of the latest study from The Lancet. They confirm, according to him, on the contrary, the ineffectiveness of the molecule on serious cases. The doctor and former Minister of Health therefore continues to defend the drug and its promoter Pr Didier Raoult, director of the Institut hospitalo-universitaire (IHU) Méditerranée in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), of which Philippe Douste-Blazy is Member of the Board of Directors.
How much credit do you bring to The Lancet study?
Philippe Douste-Blazy. The Lancet study is a retrospective study, and Mr. Mehra, one of the co-authors clearly explained that these were hospitalized patients, who were treated with hydroxychloroquine five to seven days after the start of the infection. , with a severe viral load. We have known from the start that chloroquine does not work in severe cases, so this is not news.
Do you still want a broader prescription for chloroquine?
What we want through the petition is to go back on a decree which prevents a doctor from prescribing hydroxychloroquine outside hospitalized patients. This Lancet study rightly shows that chloroquine can be dangerous for hospital patients, that's why we are asking for this decree to be lifted. Besides, Olivier Véran has made a request to revise these prescription rules after the results of this study, since he only reserves this drug in his decree for those for whom it is dangerous.
Do you still believe in this medicine?
There is a debate on hydroxychloroquine, which will only be decided by a randomized clinical trial (Editor's note: patients chosen by lot). You have to look at the mortality rate, 17.6% in France, at the Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée infection in Marseille, it's 2.5%: and we can find low figures elsewhere, even without chloroquine. What is important is the strategy: mass screening, isolation of early cases, isolation of positive people, search for contact and treatment cases.
Do you still support Doctor Raoult and his work?
I am like everyone else, I watch the death rate. For a doctor there is only that. When we see the results in Marseille, I think we should indeed listen to what he says. But I think everyone is listening.
