The drug hydroxychloroquine was prescribed off-label during the pandemic and touted in particular by a prominent French researcher. The antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine may have induced nearly 17,000 deaths in six countries during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This molecule was presented during the pandemic as a miracle cure by a minority of health professionals, among them the French microbiologist Didier Raoult. The scientist’s belief that the drug was a cure for COVID-19 was soon echoed by some policymakers. French President Emmanuel Macron notably visited his facility and US President Donald Trump recommended the drug in 2020, stating that...