In United States, an Indian American-owned pharma firm has pledged to donate 3.4 million Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate tablets to some of the key COVID-19 battleground states, including New York and Louisiana, joining the war against the Corona virus.

Owned by philanthropic billionaire Chirag and Chintu Patel, New Jersey-based Amneal Pharmaceuticals, which is one of the largest US-based manufacturers, has also announced ramping up production of Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate at several of its manufacturing sites and expects to produce approximately 20 million tablets till mid-April.

Those tablets will be made available nationwide through Amneal’s existing retail and wholesale customers, as well as through direct sales to larger institutions in need, the company said.

Amneal has donated two million tablets of 200 milligrams Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate to New York and one million to Texas to be used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. It is ready to provide more as needed. It is also donating and providing products directly to hospitals across the country, the company said. The company has also announced donation of 400,000 Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate tablets to Louisiana.

Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate was first synthesized in 1946 and is in a class of medications historically used to treat and prevent malaria. According to Louisiana State Government, Amneal’s Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate tablets are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, childhood arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases.

Hydroxychloroquine is not FDA-approved for the treatment of COVID-19, but it has been identified as a possible treatment for it, and the US Government has requested its immediate availability. The Louisiana State University School of Medicine is working to launch two different clinical trials using hydroxychloroquine in relation to COVID-19. One trial will utilize Hydroxychloroquine on those who have significant COVID-19 disease.

The other trial protocol will use and test the drug as a preventative measure for those health care workers on the front lines battling the epidemic. Trials will be conducted at the University Medical Centre in New Orleans and at the LSU Medical School locations in Baton Rouge and Lafayette.