Anti-Parasitic Drug Ivermectin for Treatment of COVID-19?

The use of the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin for possible COVID-19 treatment was discussed during the House health committee hearing on the government’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response Tuesday as lawmakers call for the addition of the drug to the treatment of COVID-19 in the country.

The discussion centered around the viability of the drug to treat COVID-19, distribution, recommendations for the use of the drug, applications and registrations of pharmaceutical companies for the use of the drug for human consumption, and clinical trials.

This comes as some doctors in the country has started prescribing the drug to their patients for the treatment of COVID-19, prompting the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to release Advisory No. 2021-0526 against the purchase and use of Ivermectin veterinary products against COVID-19.

The advisory also states that “the registered Ivermectin veterinary products are only approved for use the prevention of heartworm disease and treatment of internal and external parasites in certain animal species.”

“Ivermectin is Not approved by the FDA for treatment of any viral infection,” the advisory further added.

FDA Director General Eric Domingo said during the committee hearing that Ivermectin is not in the Department of Health (DOH) COVID-19 treatment protocol and added that there are no application of registrations for the drug.

“Ivermectin is not included in the DOH treatment protocol for COVID-19. There is no application for registration or compassionate special permit or clinical trial,” he said.

Domingo however, clarified that there are legal ways to use Ivermectin so long as they are registered.

WHO Representative to the Philippines Rabindra Abeyasinghe said during the hearing that only “small scale” studies have been done on Ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19, with results not showing any statistical significance.

“The issue with Ivermectin is that, based on that initial study and current available data, it is not strong enough for us to advocate the use of Ivermectin as treatment for COVID-19,” he said.

Slovakia is the first country un the European Union to approve Ivermectin for both the Prophylaxis and treatment of COVID-19 patients.

People in numerous countries such as Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, India, Poland, Peru, South Africa, and Turkey are now using Ivermectin as treatment for COVID-19.

Meanwhile, FDA Director General Eric Domingo said no trial application on the use of Ivermectin for COVID-19 treatment was passed to the drug administration. Furthermore, he added that there is no registered Ivermectin drug for human use in the Philippines.

However, According to Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) director general Jeremiah Belgica via state-run Philippine News Agency, Lloyd Laboratories Inc. and Pascual Laboratories Inc. are willing to apply for registration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the production Ivermectin for human consumption. (GFB)