French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said Friday it had decided to donate 100 million doses of hydroxychloroquine, the decades-old anti-malaria drug touted by some as a potential weapon against the novel coronavirus, across 50 countries.

In a statement, the company said it increased its production capacity by 50% across its eight hydroxychloroquine manufacturing sites worldwide, adding it was on track to quadruple it by the summer.

"Sanofi is calling for coordination among the entire hydroxychloroquine chain worldwide to ensure the continued supply of the medicine if proven to be a well-tolerated and effective treatment in COVID-19 patients," it said.