Reports from Nigeria indicated that the price of the anti-malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine has skyrocketed according to the government’s consumer protection body.

There’s been widespread interest in hydroxychloroquine as both a preventative measure and for treating patients with coronavirus since the video of US Nigerian Trained Nurse, Stella Immanuel went viral.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s audit of prices across the country has observed an astonishing rise in the drug’s price in recent months.

It found that – a packet of 60 tablets selling for N3,000 naira four months ago – could be on sale in pharmacies for as much as N75,000 naira now.

The body reminded Nigerians that “excessive and unconscionable pricing” is “unreasonable, unjust and irrational and is a criminal offence” in Nigeria.

Despite some early studies raising hopes, one subsequent larger scale trial has shown it’s not effective as a treatment and the World Health Organisation has halted its trials.