MANILA, Philippines — Amid discussions on the use of the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin against COVID-19, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stressed Tuesday that the drug is not registered for human treatment in the country.
During an online meeting of the House Committee on Health, FDA Director General Eric Domingo said that the country’s only approved Ivermectin drug is for animal and veterinary use.
“‘Yung ating nilabas na advisory is pertaining to the fact that there is no registered human oral preparation for Ivermectin with FDA. Ang mayroon lang pong nakarehistrong Ivermectin sa Pilipinas ay mga veterinary products,” Domingo said.
(We issued the advisory because there is no registered human oral preparation of Ivermectin with the FDA. In the Philippines, the only Ivermectin products that are licensed are veterinary products.)
He also stressed the importance of warning people to be cautious and stop consuming veterinary products.
The Department of Health (DOH) agreed with the official statement of a group of experts from several medical societies in the country that said Ivermectin is not recommended for the treatment of COVID-19.
“Based on the current evidence from the randomized controlled trials, we do not recommend these of Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19. It has not been proven to significantly reduce mortality or improve other clinical outcomes,” DOH Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire, who read the statement of the group of medical experts, said.
Earlier, the FDA said that doctors and hospitals interested in using Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 symptoms could apply for a Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) or emergency use authorization.
However, as of March 30, Domingo said they have yet to receive any form of application for authorization for human preparations for Ivermectin.
READ: Doctors, hospitals may apply for compassionate use of Ivermectin vs COVID — FDA