PH’s clinical trial for ivermectin as COVID-19 treatment to start on Sept. 15

FILE PHOTO: A box of the drug Ivermectin, made by Biogaran, is pictured on the counter of a pharmacy, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Paris, France, April 28, 2020. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s clinical trials for the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin as COVID-19 treatment will begin on September 15, an official of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Wednesday.

Dr. Jaime Montoya, executive director of the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development, said the clinical trial methodology was revised to avoid methodology issues faced by other foreign studies on ivermectin.

“’Yung trial, ang target na magsisimula siya ay September 15 dahil doon lalabas ang approval. Binago ang methodology upon the advice of the international clinical trial consortium na nagkaroon ng issue ‘yung ibang mga pag-aaral na isinagawa at napublish na,” Montoya told the Senate committee on appropriations that was conducting a hearing on the DOST’s proposed budget for 2022.

(The target for starting the trial is on September 15 because that is when the approval will be issued. The methodology was changed after an international clinical trial consortium said there were issues with other studies conducted and published.)

“Ang target po na simula ay September 15 dahil ito ay nirereview pa ng ethics at ng technical panel at ang projected date ay middle of September ang simula,” he added.

(We are planning to start on September 15 because this is being reviewed by the ethics and technical panel and the projected date of starting the trial is in the middle of September.)

Montoya assured that trial sites are already prepared and that funds were already transferred to the University of the Philippines – Manila that will conduct the study. He said the research team is only awaiting the approval of protocols from the DOST ethics and technical panel.

The study will be conducted for eight months.

Health authorities have been reiterating that there is no evidence to show that ivermectin can treat COVID-19. The drug has been approved for human use only as a nematicide.

/MUF