Summary

A 2020 study promoting hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment has been officially retracted by Elsevier due to ethical and methodological issues.

Investigations revealed concerns about patient consent, ethical approvals, and data integrity. Three co-authors requested disassociation from the paper, while others disputed the retraction.

The study, widely cited and controversial, influenced policies and public discourse, with then-president Trump endorsing the drug. Critics, including the French Society of Pharmacology, condemned the study for misleading claims that led to overprescription and unnecessary risks, potentially causing avoidable deaths.

This marks the most-cited Covid paper to be retracted.