'You are not a cow:' US FDA cautions public against use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clarified that there is no form of the ivermectin drug that has been approved by the agency for use in treating or preventing COVID-19 in humans.

"You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it," the agency tweeted on Saturday, August 21.

While it has not yet reviewed data to support the use of ivermectin to treat or to prevent COVID-19, the FDA said some initial research is underway.

"Taking a drug for an unapproved use can be very dangerous. This is true of ivermectin, too," the FDA said in a statement.

Ivermectin tablets are approved only at very specific doses for some certain conditions caused by parasitic worms and topical formulations used for head lice and skin conditions like rosacea, the FDA said.

The agency warned that taking large doses of this drug is dangerous and that patients who overdose with ivermectin may experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, low blood pressure, allergic reactions, dizziness, problems with balance, seizures, coma, and even death.

The FDA also stressed that the ivermectin products for animals are different from ivermectin products for humans.

"These animal drugs are often highly concentrated because they are used for large animals like horses and cows, which can weigh a lot more than a human," said the agency, adding such high doses can be highly toxic in humans.

It warned that many inactive ingredients found in animal products are not evaluated for use in people. "In some cases, we don’t know how those inactive ingredients will affect how ivermectin is absorbed in the human body."

The Philippines’ eight month-long study on the use of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19 in the country is likely to start by the second week of September, the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (DOST-PCHRD) announced last August 19.

“Our original date was August, but because of the need to revise the protocol because of recent developments of results from other trials, this has caused the delay. I think this is good because otherwise, the study design will be faulty,” DOST-PCHRD Executive Director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya said.

The FDA, meanwhile, advised the public to continue limiting the spread of the deadly disease by wearing masks, observing social distancing, frequent washing of hands, and avoiding crowds.