India has lifted the ban on the export of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug that is being considered as a potential treatment for Coronavirus. This decision came after a threat from President Donald Trump.
The Indian government, which is the largest manufacturer of hydroxychloroquine, had initially imposed a temporary export ban on the drug on March 25 to maintain domestic stocks. The ban was later extended to include formulations made from hydroxychloroquine.
President Trump made a request for the export of hydroxychloroquine during a phone call with India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Following this, Trump explicitly threatened retaliation if the ban on exporting the drug to the US was not lifted.
After the threat, an Indian government spokesperson announced the lifting of some restrictions on hydroxychloroquine, stating that the drug would be kept in a “licensed” category and its demand would be continuously monitored.
President Trump’s interest in hydroxychloroquine has been fueled by a study conducted by a group of scientists in March, despite the results being openly dismissed by experts and major medical bodies.
The orders for hydroxychloroquine from India by the US were placed in March, but the size of the order and whether they were placed by the US government or private companies remain unclear.