hydroxychloroquine

noun

hy·​droxy·​chlor·​o·​quine hī-ˌdräk-sē-ˈklȯr-ə-ˌkwēn 

-kwin

: a drug derived from quinolone that is taken orally in the form of its sulfate C₁₈H₂₆ClN₃O·H₂SO₄ to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus erythematosus

Two commonly used antimalarials are chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, both generic drugs.

—Consumer Reports

Originally an antimalarial drug, hydroxychloroquine is often … prescribed to people with mild, slowly progressing arthritis.

—Samir Sutaria

Examples of hydroxychloroquine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine increased 80-fold between March 2019 and March 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. —Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 18 Dec. 2024

During the coronavirus pandemic, Oz promoted the treatment of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug unproven in treating COVID-19. —Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 17 Dec. 2024

The passage of the bill comes after a years-long effort by Republican lawmakers in the state to expand COVID-19 patients’ access to drugs like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, according to reporting from the Ohio Capital Journal. —Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech, The Hill, 12 Dec. 2024

Kennedy has also promoted peptides, a potentially dangerous growth hormone, and unproven Covid-19 treatments like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. —Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

hydroxychloroquine

noun

hy·​droxy·​chlor·​o·​quine -ˈklōr-ə-ˌkwēn, -kwin 

: a drug derived from quinoline that is administered orally in the form of its sulfate C₁₈H₂₆ClN₃O·H₂SO₄ to treat malaria, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus erythematosus see plaquenil