UP-PGH to conduct clinical trials on Ivermectin, says DOST chief

(Eagle News) — The Philippines will start clinical trials of Ivermectin to study its efficacy in fighting the COVID-19 virus, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) bared on Monday night, April 19.
DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña told President Rodrigo Duterte during his “Talk to the Nation” on Monday night that the University of the Philippines Manila-Philippine General Hospital (UP Manila-PGH) will be conducting the clinical trial and quarantine centers near the PGH will be participating in the trial.
He said that UP-PGH Director Dr. Aileen Wang would be leading the Philippine clinical trial on Ivermectin that could last for six months.
“At gaya nga po nang nasabi namin, pinakamahina po anim na buwan eh kasi sa clinical trial marami po talagang pinagdadaanan, maliban na lang kung talagang bigla pong magkaroon ng maraming-maraming magvo-volunteer, mapapabilis po. At ang plano po dito ay iyong mga quarantine center na malapit sa PGH ang pagsasagawaan nito,” Dela Peña explained.

-DOH allocates funds for Ivermectin clinical trial-
He said that the Department of Health had already allocated funds for the Ivermectin clinical trial.
Dela Peña said that Ivermectin would be tested as an anti-viral agent, whether it could reduce viral shedding in mild and moderate patients. Viral shedding is when infected individuals, who even if they are not yet experiencing any of the viral symptoms, are already shedding viral particles while they talk, exhale, eat, and perform other activities, thus infecting other people.
“At hopefully po ay ‘pag natapos ‘yong trial na ‘yan ay magkaroon tayo ng mas reliable estimates ng epekto ng Ivermectin bilang isang anti-viral agent at — na makapagre-reduce po nung virus shedding sa mga mild at moderate patients. At makikita natin ang epekto ng Ivermectin doon sa haba ng hospitalization nung iba,” the DOST chief said.
Last week, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief Director General Eric Domingo said that the Philippines, through an experts’ group, is already studying the Ivermectin as a possible drug to fight COVID-19. He said that the experts’ group was studying then 11 good clinical trials abroad on Ivermectin use against the COVID-19 virus.
Ivermectin is a “drug of choice” in treating parasites and has been in use for the past 40 years both for animals and humans.
Domingo also explained last week to President Duterte how studies on the use of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 came about. He said that this was way back April 2020 when a group of scientists from Australia tried to use Ivermectin, injecting it in cells taken from monkeys that had the COVID-19 virus. He said the scientists there observed that the virus died “within 24 to 48 hours.”
President Duterte had been asking his health and science officials about Ivermectin in treating COVID-19 patients after several doctors and lawmakers pressed the FDA to study the drug in fighting COVID-19.
(Eagle News Service)