MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should be more proactive and study the safety and efficacy of ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19, according to speaker Lord Allan Velasco.
In a statement, Velasco said that Filipinos are “desperate for a cure” and that the government must inform the public of all options to prevent and treat the disease that is now plaguing the National Capital Region and surrounding provinces.
“With the increase in cases and more people dying, regulators should consider the safety and efficacy of ivermectin and other reused drugs for COVID-19,” he said, adding: “These are desperate times that require a more proactive approach to regulation . People need alternative remedies to prevent or treat COVID-19. “
Survivors
Vice President and Rep. Bagong Henerasyon Bernadette Herrera, 1Pacman Rep. Enrico Pineda and Anakalusugan Rep. Michael Defensor pressed for the use of the drug for the treatment of COVID-19.
Pineda and Defensor are both survivors of COVID-19. Defender said he took ivermectin along with vitamins and supplements during his domestic quarantine.
Previously, the FDA closed the laboratory of Dr. Allan Landrito, who was preparing ivermectin for sale to COVID-19 patients.
At the House hearing, the FDA said it would discuss with drug makers how pending orders for ivermectin as treatment with COVID-19 could be accelerated.
DOH said more scientific evidence is needed to prove the drug’s effectiveness against the virus.
But Herrera reiterated the position of ivermectin advocates that it is an inexpensive and effective alternative drug for COVID-19 and that it can “drastically reduce” deaths. She said the FDA, as a regulatory agency, should keep an “open mind” about ivermectin because it is so much cheaper than other drugs currently used to treat COVID-19.
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