FDA chases illegal Ivermectin traders
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to serve as the lead agency in going after illegal traders of Ivermectin amid reports of the anti-parasitic drug’s unauthorized use in treating coronavirus patients, the Palace said Wednesday.
Presidential spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque said all operations to catch violators must be done in coordination with the FDA, adding that policemen “cannot arbitrarily determine on their own which drugs should not be on the market.”
“To ensure the safety and welfare of the public and at the same time avoid any unnecessary conflicts, the FDA has been directed to take the lead in determining the course of action against the illegal trading or dispensing of Ivermectin,” Roque said in a statement.
“All operations to apprehend or seize goods must be done in coordination with the FDA,” he added.
The Palace official underscored that what the FDA has been ordered to stop is the sale of Ivermectin products for veterinary use which were repackaged as human-grade, as well as those that were not deemed safe for the public.
He also renewed the government’s call to the public to seek the advice of medical practitioners before taking medicines or supplements.
President Duterte, who has ordered the conduct of clinical trials for the Ivermectin use as Covid-19 treatment, directed the Presidential Management Staff to give him weekly updates on related studies worldwide.
“The President is closely monitoring the developments concerning Ivermectin here and abroad,” Roque said.
The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) announced on Monday that it was preparing to conduct trials for the anti-parasitic drug in at least six quarantine centers near the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
A PGH doctor has been chosen to lead the clinical trials, which may run for up to eight months, said DoST Secretary Fortunato de la Peña.
In a televised briefing, PGH spokesperson Dr. Jonas del Rosario said the trial protocols are being prepared and a team of researchers is being formed.
“They are still studying the protocols, but definitely, she said she is forming a team of researchers to be with her,” Del Rosario told reporters.
The clinical trials would note how Ivermectin reduces symptoms or length of hospital admission among trial participants compared to other treatments being used.
Ivermectin products commercially available in the country are limited to treating parasitic ailment of animals and are in the form of a topical cream for skin application.
The World Health Organization, the United States FDA, the European Medicine Agency, and even Ivermectin manufacturer, Merck, all said there is a lack of data and evidence on its efficacy and benefits for Covid-19 prevention and treatment.