by Regina Elaine Vendivil
A year into the pandemic, the cure for COVID-19 is yet to be found, hence some undisclosed hospitals, upon the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have been considering therapeutics including the Ivermectin as a repurposed drug, although its efficacy as a cure for COVID remains unproven and under examination.
Ivermectin is a medication used as a treatment for parasitic roundworm infections and various tropical diseases such as Helminthiases (worm infection), Onchocerciasis (river blindness caused by the infection of the parasitic worm Onchocerca volvulus), and Scabies (skin infestation caused by the Sarcoptes scabiei). This belongs to the anthelmintics class of drugs or drugs used to treat parasitic infections, and is responsible for paralyzing and killing parasites that live in the human body and animals. Also, it is included on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) model list of essential medicines and has been widely available and used for different infections. Furthermore, the Ivermectin is currently being thoroughly examined and undergoing clinical trials in countries such as Argentina and Brazil wherein it will be tested on coronavirus patients.
Last April 2020, a month after COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, a group of Australian researchers performed a laboratory experiment using Ivermectin as a possible cure for the virus. The experiment was conducted on monkey cells placed in test tubes with doses of drugs higher than those given to humans for deworming. Afterwards, the researchers observed the reactions that took place between the two substances. Within 24-48 hours, the virus died and the medication was able to stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of COVID-19, from multiplying in the cells of animals. Even though this was conducted in their country, the use of this anti-parasitic drug in Australia has not been approved as a treatment for COVID-19.
Despite being considered safe and widely used over the past 40 years, the intake of this drug can lead to side effects, especially since COVID-19 requires an extremely high dose for the reaction to be seen on one’s body, according to FDA Director General Eric Domingo. Additionally, animal drugs, including Ivermectin, originally have higher concentrations and chemical content than human drugs which can cause fever and other severe side effects. For instance, the use of the drug may cause damage to the liver or kidney and brain, and pulmonary problems for some. Moreover, major effects can also develop including vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension (low blood pressure), nausea, allergic reactions such as itching and hives, dizziness, ataxia (balance problems), seizures, coma, and even death due to overdose.
The Department of Health (DOH), along with the FDA, has strongly advised the public against purchasing the anti-parasitic drug to treat COVID-19 since this can cause serious harm to humans. Ironically, two weeks after this statement, the FDA granted a hospital Compassionate Special Permit (CSP), especially to those patients experiencing fatal conditions. After a week, another hospital was then given the CSP and allowed the use of the Ivermectin as a treatment for the virus. These hospitals were not disclosed to the public in order to give privacy to the patients who will receive this medication.
Although Ivermectin is not registered for human use in terms of parasitic treatments as it is only prescribed on animals, it has always been available in the Philippines in the form of lotion for topical formulations, meaning direct application to the skin. However, some doctors, together with patients who claim that it was beneficial and has helped them with their fight against the virus, already recommended this medication. Now, several lawmakers are even pushing for the use of this medication, regardless of the government not having plans to conduct clinical trials for this drug to determine its effectiveness. Nevertheless, some health workers have warned the public through various social media platforms about insufficient proof of its eligibility as experts stated that it is still unproven whether Ivermectin is safe to use against coronavirus or not.
According to the US National Library Medicine’s Clinical Trials, there are currently almost twenty (20) completed clinical trials out of the forty (40) ongoing trials around the world. On the other hand, Latin America has been using this drug as a COVID-19 treatment since 2020 in Pero, Bolivia, Guatemala, and other countries in the region even though proper tests have not been done yet. Similarly, South Africa has also been influenced to utilize the same treatment and started using this drug in July 2020, during the peak of the country’s first wave of coronavirus cases.
Despite the dangerous side effects and absence of clinical trials for Ivermectin in the Philippines, some hospitals are already utilizing this drug and will soon be used by more facilities, especially now that the real cure for COVID-19 is still nowhere in sight. But should we settle for this and turn a blind eye to the severe effects of this drug usage that put the lives of people at risk?
References
https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/antiviral-therapy/ivermectin/
https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-1122/ivermectin-oral/details
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/onchocerciasis/index.html
https://www.healthline.com/health/scabies#:~:text=Scabies%20is%20a%20skin%20infestation,to%20form%20on%20the%20skin.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166354220302011
https://www.rappler.com/nation/fda-says-no-registered-animal-drug-ivermectin-human-use-philippines
https://www.rappler.com/nation/hospital-gets-limited-permit-use-ivermectin-covid-19-treatment-april-2021
https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/4/14/fda-use-of-ivermectin-not-recommended-but-hospitals-may-apply-for-permit.html
http://outbreaknewstoday.com/philippines-has-reaffirmed-its-position-against-the-use-of-ivermectin-against-covid-19-18517/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56526632
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02958-2
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04529525
https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/study/NCT04431466
https://www.nps.org.au/ivermectin-and-covid-19
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1135016
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