Hydroxychloroquine

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an antimalarial drug, sold under the trade names Plaquenil, Axemal (in India), Dolquine and Quensyl, also used to reduce inflammation in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (see disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) and lupus. Hydroxychloroquine differs from chloroquine by the presence of a hydroxyl group at the end of the side chain: The N-ethyl substituent is beta-hydroxylated. It is available for oral administration as hydroxychloroquine sulfate (plaquenil) of which 200 mg contains 155 mg base in chiral form. Hydroxychloroquine has similar pharmacokinetics to chloroquine, with quick gastrointestinal absorption and elimination by the kidney. Cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYP 2D6, 2C8, 3A4 and 3A5) metabolize hydroxychloroquine to N-desethylhydroxychloroquine.