ReviewEuropean journal of clinical pharmacology2026
Hydroxychloroquine in pregnancy: therapeutic applications, mechanisms of action, and safety - a narrative review.
Review in European journal of clinical pharmacology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a 4-aminoquinoline originally developed as an antimalarial, is widely used as an immunomodulatory therapy in rheumatic diseases during pregnancy. It is recommended for women with Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS), with emerging interest in broader obstetric applications.
objectiveTo synthesise current evidence on the pharmacology, mechanisms of action, clinical applications, and safety of HCQ in pregnancy and lactation, and to appraise its place in contemporary obstetric practice.
methodsWe conducted a structured narrative review of peer-reviewed literature indexed in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library (January 2005 to March 2026), and consultation of major international guidelines. Randomised controlled trials, cohort studies, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, mechanistic studies, and authoritative clinical guidelines were prioritised.
findingsCurrent data support the safety of HCQ at doses ≤ 400 mg/day, with no consistent increase in major congenital malformations or adverse birth outcomes. HCQ reduces disease flares in SLE pregnancies, lowers the risk of preeclampsia, and improves live-birth rates in obstetric APS. Emerging but lower-certainty evidence suggests a possible benefit in antinuclear antibody-positive recurrent pregnancy loss and recurrent implantation failure. HCQ is compatible with breastfeeding. Evidence for use in recurrent pregnancy loss and implantation failure remains limited.
conclusionCurrent evidence affirms HCQ as a safe and effective pharmacotherapy in rheumatic disease pregnancies, with potential benefits in selected obstetric indications. Ongoing randomised trials are required.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.