Conducting a clinical trial on the use of Ivermectin as a treatment for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will not be needed in the Philippines due to several ongoing trials on its use around the world, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato dela Peña said on Friday, April 9.
"Clinical trial projects will require a minimum of six months and can extend to years. That is how long we have to wait to have results and conclusions," dela Peña said in a Facebook post.
Citing data from the clinicaltrials.gov, dela Peña said there are almost 20 completed and 40 ongoing clinical trials around the world exploring the use of Ivermectin formulations against COVID-19.
"As most ongoing clinical trials have already been implemented since 2020, it would be appropriate to await the results of these studies that are already significantly advanced in terms of data collection and conducting interim analyses," he added.
Dela Peña pointed out that the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development of the DOST "is of the position that there is no need to conduct another clinical trial in the Philippines."
"Experts in the scientific and medical field have already spoken. In the case of the Department of Science and Technology, our most common involvement is the development of diagnostic kits, disease models, drugs, and adjunctive therapies, which include clinical trials," he said.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Thursday, April 8, granted a hospital a compassionate special permit (CSP) to use Ivermectin against COVID-19.
FDA Director General Eric Domingo explained in a Department of Health briefing on Friday that a doctor or hospital can request for a CSP if a drug is not available in the Philippines but is registered and available in another country, or that a drug is undergoing clinical trial as a treatment for certain illnesses, such as COVID-19.