hydroxychloroquine

American  

[hahy-drok-si-klawr-uh-kween, -kwin] / haɪˌdrɒk sɪˈklɔr əˌkwin, -kwɪn /

noun

Pharmacology.

1. a colorless crystalline solid, C 18 H 26 ClN 3 O, used in the treatment of malaria, lupus erythematosus, and rheumatoid arthritis. HCQ

---

Usage

What is hydroxychloroquine? Hydroxychloroquine is a drug used to prevent and treat malaria. It is also used in the treatment of certain inflammatory autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and a form of lupus.As an antimalarial drug, hydroxychloroquine was first synthesized in the 1940s. By the 1950s, the drug was proven to be effective in treating the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Hydroxychloroquine remains an important way of controlling lupus in patients to this day.In the U.S., a prescription is needed for the drug, which is taken orally in the form of a hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablet. Plaquenil is a brand-name preparation of hydroxychloroquine.Hydroxychloroquine can have a number of side effects, including disruptions in heart rhythms and retinal damage. Less severe side effects include skin rash, nausea, and mood changes. It can also interact with other drugs, including antacids and insulin.Hydroxychloroquine is closely related to chloroquine, another antimalarial drug (sold under the brand name Aralen). Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine are included in the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines.Both substances are chemically derived from quinoline, a pungent, colorless liquid occurring in coal tar and used to make dyes, among other uses. And while both can have similar side effects, hydroxychloroquine is considered less toxic than chloroquine.Dig deeperThe chemical formula for hydroxychloroquine is C₁₈H₂₆ClN₃O. Hydroxychloroquine is sometimes abbreviated as HCQ.Hydroxychloroquine is composed of hydroxy-, a combining form indicating that the hydroxyl group (a type of bond between oxygen and hydrogen) is present in a chemical compound, and chloroquine. Chloroquine, in turn, is composed of chloro-, used in the names of chemical compounds where chlorine is present, and quin(ol)ine.Now, here’s a word origin you might not have suspected: quinine and quinoline both ultimately derive from the Quechua kina, meaning “bark.” Formerly used against malaria, quinine is present in the bark of various cinchona trees and shrubs, which are native to the Andes. Quechua is an indigenous language of South America, where cinchona bark was originally found.

Etymology

Origin of hydroxychloroquine

First recorded in 1960–65; hydroxy- + chloroquine

Compare meaning

How does hydroxychloroquine compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hydroxychloroquine vs. chloroquine

Example Sentences

Both ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine were held up as miracle cures for Covid but such claims have not been supported by science.

From BBC

One recently published study attributed about 17,000 deaths across the United States and other countries to the use of hydroxychloroquine early in the pandemic.

From Los Angeles Times

He said he wasn’t aware of any clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine that were still ongoing in the U.S.

From Seattle Times

If the correlation is catchy enough, it’ll get a lot of media coverage: The initial conclusions of the French hydroxychloroquine study didn’t stand up as more researchers investigated the drug’s effect on covid-19.

From Washington Post

She said she told one pharmacist over the phone that she was prescribing hydroxychloroquine for Lyme disease, not COVID.

From Washington Times