COVID-19 Impact on Hydroxychloroquinein Chemicals and Materials Industry
INTRODUCTION
The primary use of hydroxychloroquine is in the prevention and treatment of malaria, particularly in cases of malarial infection caused by chloroquine-sensitive bacterial strains. It was first approved as a medicine back in 1955 by the United States and gained popularity ever since. By 2017, with more than five million prescriptions, it was not only the 128th most widely used drug in the United States, but also one on the List of Essential Drugs of the World Health Organisation.
Its sulphate salt, hydroxychloroquine sulphate, is the generally used form and is commonly sold under the brand names Plaquenil, Hydroquin, Axemal (in India), Dolquine, Quensyl, and Quinori for administration via the oral route. However, a proper amount of food intake is required before its oral administration to prevent the stomach from being upset.

USES
Although the primary use of hydroxychloroquine is against malaria caused by mosquito bites, it is also a disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD). DMARDs are a class of medication used to treat certain auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and lupus. It has the ability to alleviate the pain and swelling, prevent joint damage, and could reduce the risk of long-term disability in the case of arthritis, and can reduce skin problems in lupus as well.

MECHANISMS OF ACTION
The precise mechanisms via which hydroxychloroquine exerts its activities are unknown. Scientists believe that hydroxychloroquine is a weak base that inhibits the polymerization of heme in the parasite by concentrating in its acid vesicles. This mechanism is similar to that of chloroquine, which is another anti-malarial drug. Hydroxychloroquine can inhibit certain enzymes in bacteria by interacting with its DNA. This fact makes it effective against certain strains Read in detail...