Khairy says the great debate locally on Ivermectin will be settled soon as MOH presents its findings next week

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has tweeted that the “great debate locally on Ivermectin will be settled soon”. The results for the local study on the effectiveness of the anti-parasitic drug to treat COVID-19 will be presented publicly next week by Dr Kalai Peariasamy, the director at the Institute for Clinical Research (ICR).

As reported recently, the results of the Ivermectin Treatment Efficacy in COVID-19 High-Risk Patients (I-Tech) study will be presented to the Health Ministry stakeholders by the end of this month. The study conducted at 20 hospitals involves 500 COVID-19 positive patients with comorbidities aged 50 and above, between categories 2 and 3.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali recently told Dewan Negera that “so far, the findings to prove Ivermectin can treat or prevent Covid-19 infection are limited.”

Several quarters, politicians and organisations have been pushing for the use of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 despite not being authorised locally for human use. The drug is authorised for humans in other countries to treat head lice and skin conditions like rosacea. In Malaysia, Ivermectin is only licensed for animals and the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) has not approved any products with Ivermectin as an active ingredient to be used for human consumptions.

The Health Ministry has repeated reminded that Ivermectin is still not approved for treatment and prevention of COVID-19. Health Director-General Dr Noor Hisham has also shared several studies conducted worldwide that show no significant improvement in COVID-19 symptoms with the use of the drug. There were also cases of individuals who suffered acute poisoning after taking Ivermectin in Malaysia. The Ministry also warned that the side effects of taking Ivermectin include nausea, giddiness, diarrhea and stomach discomfort. The severe side effects can cause low blood pressure, lung damage and even death.

Health regulators including the US FDA and EU’s EMA have also warned against the use of Ivermectin to treat COVID-19. Merck, the company that produces Ivermectin, has also issued a statement that there’s no scientific basis for potential therapeutic effect against COVID-19 and no meaningful evidence for clinical efficacy in patients with COVID-19.

In case you missed it, we have a Let’s Talk About episode about Ivermectin and you can catch it here.

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