Two legislators on Tuesday vowed to push through with a plan to distribute Ivermectin drug through an “Ivermectin Pan-Three” for those who are in dire need of the controversial drug.
To equate both the “sense of urgency and inherent trait of community sharing,” Sagip Rep. Rodante Marcoleta and Anakalusugan Rep. Mike Defensor said each beneficiary would get a minimum of three capsules/tablet free of charge.
The Ivermectin Pan-Three will be formally launched on Thursday at the Matandang Balara Hall Park.
“From the experts’ collective testimony, Ivermectin had been widely used to treat a variety of human parasites since its introduction in 1981 and since then, is being taken along with Vitamins C and D, melatonin, zinc, among others, including steroids for the elderly and asthmatic patients,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the registered Ivermectin products in the country for human use are in topical formulations under prescription use only that is mainly used for the treatment of external parasites such as head lice and skin conditions such as rosacea.
The FDA said the registered oral and intravenous preparations of Ivermectin are veterinary products that are approved for use in animals for the prevention of heartworm disease and treatment of internal and external parasites in certain animal species.
It reiterated that the Ivermectin has not been approved by the FDA for treatment of any viral infection.
But the FDA said five hospitals have already secured compassionate special permit to use Ivermectin on its Covid-19 patients as of Tuesday, April 27.
Moreover, lawmakers said Ivermectin has undergone invitro studies effectively killing Covid-19 virus and was found to cure bacterial infection for pneumonia.
“It has anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties; an estimated 3.5 billion doses have been administered to cure river blindness in Africa in the last 40 years with only 16 reported deaths; recent independent analysis of 26 randomized clinical trials and observational controlled trials showed that Ivermectin is remarkably effective for prophylaxis and treatment of Covid-19,” they said.
The two lawmakers also said the British Ivermectin Recommendation Board (BIRD) has now advised the rollout of Ivermectin for the prevention and early treatment of Covid-19.
“It is now recognized and widely used against Covid-19 in South Africa, Slovakia, Panama, Peru, in parts of India and Mexico, and Czech Republic; it is now prescribed by doctors in the US, Australia, and Canada as off label use for Covid-19 patients; and it is now included in the WHO [World Health Organization] Model List of Essential Medicines,” they added.
According to the lawmakers, the Philippine American Academy of Science and Engineering (PAASE) has conducted an online survey on Ivermectin and that out of 553 medical doctors who participated, there were more medical doctors who favored the use of Ivermectin for prevention and treatment than those who opposed or are undecided.
“On the other hand, despite the declared policy to protect and promote the right to health of the people, we observed the complacency, if not indifference, of DOH [Department of Health] and FDA officials in regard to the potential use of Ivermectin as a preventive drug or early treatment for Covid-19 patients,” they said.
“Time and again, they are dismissive of the avalanche of clinical trials that have unfolded before their very eyes, unyielding to bend and improvise the guidelines and policies that apply only during normal times. The have stonewalled and become too unwilling to compromise and be flexible in the face of the great necessity to save lives,” the lawmakers said.