Publication of "17,000 Hydroxychloroquine Deaths" Retracted
In early January 2024, an article was published in Elsevier’s Journal of Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy, overseen by Dr. Danyelle Townsend, a professor at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy’s Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences. The article, titled “Deaths induced by compassionate use of hydroxychloroquine during the first COVID-19 wave: An estimate,” has since been retracted due to the unreliability of the Belgian dataset used as a basis for the piece.
Questioning the Safety of Hydroxychloroquine
The article attacked the safety of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), contradicting centuries of safety data on quinolines, a class of drugs to which HCQ belongs. HCQ, chloroquine, and quinine share the same quinoline structural group. Quinine, discovered in the 1600s and found in the bark of the Cinchona tree, is still available today for similar indications as HCQ, including as a treatment for COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes HCQ as “a relatively well-tolerated medicine” that can be prescribed to adults and children of all ages, including pregnant women and nursing mothers. This suggests that if a drug is safe for long-term use, it would also be safe for short-term use, including in early treatment for COVID-19.
Editorial Board's Qualifications Questioned
The editorial board of the journal, consisting of over 50 “peer-reviewers” and staff, appears to be made up of laboratory bench research scientists. Questions have been raised about whether they have the appropriate credentials and experience to review and opine on complex drug safety and epidemiology subject matters.
The "17,000 Deaths" That Never Happened
The publication was interpreted and promoted by the press as suggesting that "17,000 deaths" had occurred due to HCQ. However, this figure was always a hypothetical extrapolation of people that could have died, based on unreliable databases and problematic late-stage dosing and timing. Despite the retraction of the study, many news outlets continued to reference the non-existent deaths.
Retraction of the Publication
Following the publication of the article, its critical flaws were brought to the attention of Dr. Townsend. Despite this, it took 234 days for the Journal of Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy to retract the article. By that time, incorrect information about non-existent HCQ deaths had already been widely disseminated.
Questions Raised About Editorial Responsibility
The incident has raised questions about Dr. Townsend's duties and responsibilities as the Editor in Chief. These include whether efforts were made to correct incorrect headlines and articles published by the press, whether news organizations were informed that data from the publication was under question, and what efforts are being made to notify news organizations about the retraction of the publication.
Bottom Line
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of accurate and reliable data in medical publications, as well as the responsibility of editors and editorial boards to ensure the integrity of the articles they publish. It also raises questions about the qualifications of those reviewing and opining on complex drug safety and epidemiology subject matters. What do you think about this issue? Share your thoughts with your friends and sign up for the Daily Briefing, which is delivered every day at 6pm.
