Study Promoting Hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 Formally Retracted

The 2020 paper, once widely cited and influential, was withdrawn over ethical violations, methodological flaws, and concerns about scientific misconduct.

• The International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents retracted a 2020 study that claimed hydroxychloroquine was effective against COVID-19, citing ethical and methodological issues.
• Concerns included data manipulation, lack of informed patient consent, and insufficient adherence to publishing ethics policies.
• The study, which had a small sample size and limited peer review, was pivotal in promoting the drug, leading to overprescription and potential harm to millions of patients.
• Key authors of the paper have distanced themselves from its findings, while others continue to dispute the retraction decision.
• The retraction highlights the global impact of flawed research, with experts calling it a case of scientific misconduct that undermined trust and diverted resources from effective treatments.

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