The World Health Organization on Saturday announced that it was ending a trial of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine - widely touted by President Trump as a miracle drug - despite a new study finding it made coronavirus patients 50 per cent less likely to die.

WHO said in a press release that it has 'accepted the recommendation' from The International Steering Committee to discontinue the trial for hydroxychloroquine, as well as HIV/AIDS medications lopinavir and ritonavir, because it failed to reduce COVID-19 mortality. 

The drugs were being compared with standard care for hospitalized patients. 

'These interim trial results show that hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir produce little or no reduction in the mortality of hospitalised COVID-19 patients when compared to standard of care,' a press release read. 

'Solidarity trial investigators will interrupt the trials with immediate effect,' the WHO said in a statement, referring to large multi-country trials that the agency is leading.' 

The move follows the National Institute of Health, which stopped clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine as an in-hospital coronavirus treatment in June.

NIH health officials 'determined that while there was no harm, the study drug was very unlikely to be beneficial to hospitalized patients with COVID-19.'