The US’ National Institutes of Health (NIH) has started a Phase IIb clinical trial to assess malaria drug hydroxychloroquine plus the antibiotic azithromycin to treat Covid-19.

NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is funding the study, which is being performed by the NIAID-funded AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG).

Teva Pharmaceuticals will supply drugs for the study, which will involve around 2,000 adult patients at participating ACTG sites across the US. Several participants are expected to be aged 60 years and above or have a comorbidity such as diabetes.