NEW DELHI: Shares of some drug makers surged up to 17 per cent on Friday after it was reported that a malaria drug may be effective in coronavirus treatment.The US President Donald Trump touted that generic malaria drug hydroxychloroquine has been used with some success in treating Covid-19, disease caused by coronavirus.Following the news, Cadillac Healthcare, Ipca Labs and Torrent Pharma that manufacture the drug surged up to 17 per cent in Mumbai trading. Cadila Healthcare was up 16.74 per cent to Rs 287, Ipca Lab 11.97 per cent to Rs 1410 and Torrent Pharma jumped 9.29 per cent to Rs 1,931. BSE Healthcare index, comprising these stocks, jumped 6.14 per cent.The US that has over 14,000 reported cases is already seeing shortage of the drug in its markets.The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), which maintains a list of drugs in shortage independent of the US Food and Drug Administration's list, added the generic malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to its list on Thursday. Four out of eight manufacturers of the drug are currently in shortage, it said.Trump called on US health regulators to expedite potential therapies aimed at treating COVID-19, including hydroxychloroquine."We're going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately," Trump said of the malaria drug at a White House briefing.