Pres. Duterte tasks FDA to take lead in handling what to do with illegal trade of Ivermectin

PNP should coordinate with FDA regarding operations on Ivermectin

(File photo) A health worker shows a box containing a bottle of Ivermectin, a medicine authorized by the National Institute for Food and Drug Surveillance (INVIMA) to treat patients with mild, asymptomatic or suspicious COVID-19, as part of a study of the Center for Paediatric Infectious Diseases Studies, in Cali, Colombia, on July 21, 2020. (Photo by Luis ROBAYO / AFP)

 

(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte directed the Food and Drug Administration to “take the lead in determining the course of action against the illegal trading/dispensing of Ivermectin.”

In a statement issued by Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, he said that this directive was issued “to ensure the safety and welfare of the public and at the same time avoid any unnecessary conflicts.”

“The Philippine National Police (PNP) cannot arbitrarily determine on their own which drug/s should not be on the market. All operations to apprehend or seize goods must be done in coordination with the FDA,” Roque said in a statement.

Malacanang also stressed that what the Philippine government is banning is the “sale and trade of Ivermectin for veterinary use that has been repackaged as human grade, including those that have not been determined by competent authorities as safe to be used in humans.”

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on April 19, 2021. KING RODRIGUEZ/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

The Palace also advised “the public to seek the advice of medical practitioners before taking medicines and/or supplements.”

“The President is closely monitoring the developments concerning Ivermectin here and abroad. He has even directed the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) to give him weekly updates on Ivermectin studies and FDA-related clearance,” Roque added.

The Philippine government has given the green light for the clinical trial of Ivermectin to study if it is effective against the COVID-19 virus. The University of the Philippines Manila-Philippine General Hospital will be conducting the trial which could take about six months, depending on the number of patients who would volunteer in the trials, according to the Department of Science and Technolog (DOST).

At least 11 clinical trials abroad on Ivermectin were studied by an experts’ group commissioned by the Department of Health (DOH) before the Philippine decided to conduct its own clinical trials in Manila.

(Eagle News Service)