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A number of physicians swear by the effectiveness of ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug commercially available only for veterinary use, as a treatment or preventive medicine against COVID-19. But the Food and Drug Administration maintains there are procedures to be followed, including clinical trials, before the drug could be allowed for distribution. —AFP
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) has already obtained results from the experts’ evaluation of ivermectin for COVID-19 treatment, but the results have yet to be finalized, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said Monday.
“Our experts have been evaluating this ivermectin for these past weeks and we have already results from this evaluation. We just need to finalize the report and then we will inform the public,” she said in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel.
In an online press briefing, Vergeire said that the Philippine COVID-19 Living CPG Reviewers’ evaluation of ivermectin is “almost complete.”
She said that the results may be out in the coming days or weeks.
Vergeire then advised the public to wait for ivermectin to be registered for COVID-19 prevention and treatment in the country before using it against the respiratory disease.
“This is just what we are saying, let’s just wait for the advise of our experts. It’s not going to be long. Let’s just wait for this drug to be registered here in the country so that government can also be able to monitor and be able to be accountable if ever you will take that drug,” she added.
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Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / EDWIN BACASMAS)
Vergeire stressed that the government cannot guarantee the safety of ivermectin as it is still unregistered for human use in the country.
She added that those using the product may also have a false sense of protection against COVID-19.
“We base everything on science. We cannot just settle for everything that just because other countries are using it, because all of our citizens are already using it then we just go with the flow and give them the go signal,” Vergeire said.
“The DOH and FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has that mandate of protecting the population, public health, and we have that mandate of ensuring that all of these drugs that you take will be safe and of quality,” she added.
The FDA earlier granted a compassionate special permit for a hospital’s use of ivermectin for COVID-19 patients.
An application for a certificate of product registration for human use of ivermectin filed by Lloyd Laboratories Inc. is also pending before the FDA.