The article, "Deaths induced by compassionate use of hydroxychloroquine during the first COVID-19 wave: An estimate," appeared online January 2, 2024 in the journal Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, an Elsevier title. The authors, led by Jean-Christophe Lega of Centre Hospitalier Lyon Sud in France, estimated 17,000 deaths related to hydroxychloroquine may have occurred in Belgium, Turkey, France, Italy, Spain, and the US, with a range from about 6,300 to 19,300.
An article was retracted in August, 2024 after advocates for the drug launched a campaign criticizing the study. French media have reported criticism of the retraction as inappropriate, and speculation the journal caved to pressure from hydroxychloroquine advocates.
The journal stood by its decision to retract the article due to "some clear fatal flaws" identified in letters to the editor, which it said it declined to publish due to their tone it deemed "not suitable for publication in a scientific journal." The editor in chief’s decision "was based solely on scientific considerations, and the process was in line with Committee on Publication Ethics best practices," a spokesperson for the publisher said.
