MANILA (UPDATE)—The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Monday that the Philippines will conduct a clinical trial to determine the effectiveness of ivermectin against COVID-19.
The development contradicted a previous statement by the head of the department that this trial was not necessary, as a good number were already being made.
DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said in a public statement that he had an agreement with Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Saturday that they would look for experts to handle the trial.
Dela Peña, Dr. Aileen Wang, of the UP-PGH Department of Medicine, is part of the testing group.
“Hopefully, when this trial is completed, we will have a more reliable estimate of the effect of ivermectin as an antiviral agent that can reduce virus outbreaks in mild to moderate patients (COVID-19),” he said.
(We hope the trial will show more reliable estimates of the effects of ivermectin as an antiviral agent that will reduce virus abandonment in mild to moderate patients).
Dela Peña added that the effectiveness of the antiparasitic drug will also be seen in the length of hospitalizations of coronavirus patients.
Just a week ago, the DOST secretary said there was no need to conduct a clinical trial of ivermectin, as it may “require a minimum of 6 months and may last for years,” and there are 20 clinics “almost completed “and 40” ongoing “trials on its efficacy in the treatment of COVID-19 worldwide.
He added that the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of DOST “stated that no further clinical trials are required in the Philippines, as most ongoing trials or clinical trials have already begun since 2020.” .
“It would be appropriate to wait for the results of these studies which have already made significant progress in terms of data collection and conducting interim analyzes,” Dela Peña had said.
Last week, the Philippine Food and Drug Administration granted a second hospital special permission to use ivermectin for its patients with COVID-19, recognizing that there was some “pressure” to approve it.
The drug regulator explained that the compassionate special permit allows experimental or unregistered drugs for limited off-label use, but purchasing one does not mean that the drug is shown to be effective as it requires a clinical trial.
Registered ivermectin products are for veterinary use only and only to treat internal and external parasites, as well as to prevent heartworm disease, the health department said earlier.
Unauthorized use of veterinary drugs can cause brain damage and death, said Dr. Edsel Maurice Salvana, an expert in infectious diseases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the use of ivermectin in patients with COVID-19, except in clinical trials, due to the lack of data demonstrating its benefits.
Meanwhile, Dela Peña said she is studying other drugs, such as melatonin and methylprednisolone, and herbal treatments such as lagundi, tawa-tawa and virgin coconut oil.
FDA Director General Eric Domingo, for his part, said there are 88 vaccines in clinical development worldwide and 184 more in previous trials.–With a report by Joyce Balancio, ABS-CBN News
RELATED VIDEO
DOST, ivermectin, COVID-19, Fortunato dela Peña, clinical trial, ivermectin clinical trial, Philippines, Philippine clinical trial, updates in Philippines