Ivermectin for COVID-19? Doctor says there’s still questions on its safety

A doctor on Tuesday said there is no solid proof yet that the use of Ivermectin as treatment against COVID-19 is safe.

Interviewed on Dobol B TV, Dr. Edsel Salvana, a molecular biologist and Department of Health (DOH) advisor, said health experts are not totally against the use of Ivermectin, however, he noted that further studies should be done to ensure that it is safe for patients.

"'Yung safety niyan may question mark pero of course, side effect versus benefit, kung mayroon naman tayong nakitang benefit bakit hindi? Kailangan nating ibalanse," Salvana said.

(Its safety still has a question mark. But of course, side effect versus benefits ... and if we are seeing any benefit, why not? But we have to balance it out.)

"Pero 'yun nga, sa ngayon kasi wala pa kaming kumpiyansa na 'yung risk of having side effects outweigh possible benefit based on current evidence. Hindi naman po kami sarado... kailangan lang pag-aralan nang mabuti at 'pag nakita natin meron epekto, bakit hindi?" he added.

(But we still don't have confidence that the risk of having side effects outweighs possible benefits based on current evidence. We are not closed on that ... we still need to further study it and if we see that there's an effect, why not?)

Salvana also pointed out that at present, there is no Ivermectin, specifically for human consumption, that is registered with the Food and Drug Administration.

"Wala na tayong Ivermectin na registered ngayon for people sa FDA. Nag-lapse na siya since 2018," Salvana said. "Walang FDA-registered na properly na-asssess na human formulation."

(We don't have Ivermectin for human consumption that is registered with FDA. It lapsed in 2018.)

'Wonder drug'

According to Dr. Rizalina Zunio, a veterinarian, Ivermectin was discovered in 1975. She said it was used for medical purposes beginning 1981.

Zunio said aside from being a veterinary medicine, it is also considered as a wonder drug.

"'Yung Ivermectin kasi anti-parasitic talaga siya, parang ginagamit natin sa pang-purga. Hindi naman life threatening 'yun, kasi 'yung mga hayop madami sa kanila may bulate, may galis... 'yun ang pinaggagamitan natin..." Zunio said in a separate Dobol B sa TV interview.

(Ivermectin is really anti-parasitic, like it's being used for de-worming. It is not life threatening because animals have worms ... it is where we use it.)

Still, Zunio said the public should be cautious in considering this drug as a possible treatment for COVID-19, noting that more studies are needed to prove that it is beneficial amid the pandemic.

"Tingin ko po ano, kasi every drug is a calculated poison, meaning to say effective siya pero hindi natin alam ano 'yung side effects kung hindi natin alam ang tama na paggamit at gaano kadami," Zunio said.

"We have to be careful kasi 'di ibig sabihin na may gumaling na isa, nagamit sa isa, dalawa, sampu, eh effective na siya sa millions of patients," she added.

(I think every drug is a calculated poison, meaning to say it could be effective but we don't know its side effects if we don't know its proper usage and dosage. We have to be careful because it doesn't mean that if it is effective to one, two, ten [people], it would be effective to millions of patients.)

On the other hand, Dr. Allan Landrito, an integrative medical doctor, said Ivermectin has been useful in combating other viral diseases aside from being an anti-parasitic drug.

He said it has also been used as an anti-cancer and immunomodulatory drug.

"'Yun ang akala ng marami, anti-parasitic siya pero 'di naglaon, natagpuan na anti-viral siya noong 2012. Nakita mahusay siya sa viruses, kagaya ng dengue, lahat ng strains. Maging sa influenza, HIV, Zika, Chikungunya at iba pa," Landrito told Dobol B TV.

(Others think that it was only an anti-parasitic [drug] but later on, it was found out to be anti-viral in 2012. It was found out to be effective against viruses like dengue, all strains, including influenza, HIV, Zika, Chikungunya.)

Citing the World Health Organization, Landrito further stressed that Ivermectin reduces COVID-19 mortality rate by 83%.

The FDA has said Ivermectin products were not approved for treatment of any viral infection. It also said Ivermectin is only used for prevention of parasites and heartworm illness for certain animals.

A House inquiry is scheduled this afternoon to discuss the FDA's decision prohibiting the use of Ivermectin against COVID-19. — RSJ, GMA News