Duterte orders FDA to deal with illegal sale, distribution of ivermectin
MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte has directed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take the lead in dealing with illegal traders of anti-parasitic drug ivermectin amid push to use this to treat COVID-19, Malacañang said Wednesday.
“To ensure the safety and welfare of the public and at the same time avoid any unnecessary conflicts, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been directed to take the lead in determining the course of action against the illegal trading/dispensing of Ivermectin,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement.
“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,” he added.
Roque, however, clarified that the FDA is only ordered to stop the sale or trade of ivermectin for veterinary use that has been repackaged as human grade, including those that have no been determined by competent authorities as safe to be used in humans.
“Having said this, we advise the public to seek the advice of medical practitioners before taking medicines and/or supplements,” he said.
“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,” he added.
The FDA earlier granted two hospitals compassionate special permit for ivermectin.
The agency, however, reiterated that a compassionate special permit only allows experimental or unregistered drugs for limited off-label use but this is not an agency’s endorsement of its safety and efficacy.
The agency also emphasized that a compassionate use permit is different from certificate of product registration for the drug, which allows manufacturers to commercially sell the anti-parasitic drug for human use.
The FDA likewise stressed that only the hospital that has secured a permit for ivermectin’s compassionate use for humans will be allowed to import the drug through a licensed importer. Doctors who will use ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients are required to report to the FDA on a monthly basis.
The FDA also said that distribution and promotion of ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment remains prohibited in the country.
Ivermectin is registered in the country for veterinary use to prevent heartworm disease and treat internal and external parasites in certain species.
Ivermectin products registered for human use in the country were in topical formulations under prescription use only.