Ivermectin can now be used

A court challenge aimed at legalising the use of ivermectin in the treatment of Covid-19 has been settled.

The High Court in Pretoria application was launched by Dr George Coetzee, two of his patients, and Afriforum “in the public interest”. They claimed the drug – not registered in SA for human use – “may well be the wonder drug that can save the nation”.

And they wanted a judge to force the SA Health Product Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) to declare it a “safe drug”, subject to it being properly administered by a medical practitioner.

Sahpra did not file opposing papers. Instead, on Wednesday last week, it said it would approve individual applications, in terms of its section 21 process (named after section 21 of the Medicines Act), for its use “on compassionate grounds”.

Lawyers for the applicants told GroundUp said they would persist with the urgent court application “to ensure that the section 21 process is expedited and streamlined”. The parties have filed a draft order, which states that – in terms of this programme – ivermectin will be made available, subject to section 21 applications, and that anyone can access it via this process.

In terms of the process, medical practitioners will have to report back to Sahpra on any adverse side-effects.

But many doctors GroundUp has spoken to are sceptical of using ivermectin before a clinical trial shows whether it is effective. –