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SciTech
Ivermectin trial results possible by December 2021 –DOST
By JAMIL SANTOS,GMA News The Department of Science and Technology's (DOST's) clinical trials on ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment are expected to be finished by April 2022, but results could be out as early as December of this year, Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said.
In a recorded briefing on Saturday, de le Peña said the Philippine trials officially started in the middle of August 2021 and were expected to be completed in eight months.
"That is actually relatively shorter compared to other clinical trials. This is because of simultaneous recruitment, and the short duration of treatment," de la Peña said.
"If we count by eight months, the trials will be finished by April (2022). But those conducting the clinical trials reported that if the recruitment is simultaneous and the duration of treatment is short, perhaps within six months it could be finished, by December we can have an analysis," he added.
De La Peña said they would be following a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group randomized clinical trial with three intervention arms.
The first treatment arm will be given placebo drugs once a day for five days.
The second treatment arm will be given 400 mcg of Ivermectin per kilogram per day, once a day for five days.
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DOST plans to have 1,464 asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with non-severe COVID-19 for the trials.
The Philippine ivermectin clinical trials were part of the international Ivermectin consortium, which conducts a combined analysis of all the randomized trials of ivermectin worldwide.
"Based on the latest data, there is still insufficient evidence on ivermectin use in COVID-19 treatment, thus the need for further clinical trials," de la Peña said.
"The gathered data is still inconclusive, given the high risk of bias," he added.
Another DOST official said the results of DOST's clinical trials for ivermectin would be known no earlier than January 2022.
Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire urged the public to only take drugs that are registered with the Philippine FDA. Ivermectin has only been approved for compassionate use on COVID-19 patients in certain hospitals. — DVM, GMA News