The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said Saturday, Oct. 23, said the recruitment of over 1,400 participants for the eight month-long clinical Ivermectin clinical trials is expected to start in November, and that the initial results of the study may be out by end of December this year.
DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development (R&D) Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara said the project team’s “pre-clinical trial activities” were ongoing and that the sites for the clinical trials have already been identified in Metro Manila.
https://twitter.com/chailuci/status/1451752479603916803
“Ang ating patient recruitment ngayong Nobyembre at ang release ng preliminary results ay sa end po ng December 2021 (Our patient recruitment is expected this November and the release of preliminary results is at the end of December 2021),” she said during the Laging Handa briefing on Saturday.
The project team, led by Dr. Aileen Wang of the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) is targeting to recruit 1,646 participants for the "double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trial", she noted.
The DOST official said volunteers may be recruited in Cagayan Valley and Davao should the project team fail to secure the needed number of participants.
Guevara said Wang’s team partnered with the UP Manila College of Pharmacy for the development of the local Ivermectin capsules that will be used for the clinical trials.
READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2021/10/17/ph-ivermectin-capsule-to-be-formulated-soon-dost/
The quarantine facilities that have been identified as sites for the clinical trials in Metro Manila are Ateneo Quarantine Facility, La Salle Quarantine Facility, University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) and Makati Science High School Quarantine Facility.
A total of 1,464 asymptomatic and non-severe Filipino COVID-19 patients who are at least 18 years old will be involved in the study.
The study aims to provide data on the efficacy, safety, and effect on the viral clearance of Ivermectin among asymptomatic and non-severe Filipino patients.
The project was initially eyed to be implemented by the first week of June this year to January 2022.
The DOST explained that the changes to clinical trial protocols have delayed the start of the study.
https://mb.com.ph/2021/06/25/ph-now-part-of-intl-ivermectin-clinical-trials-consortium/
The government has allocated P22 million for the conduct of the Ivermectin clinical trials.