Potential ‘cheap and easily available’ COVID-19 drug only licenced for animals?

THE Ministry of Health (MOH) will be conducting clinical trials of two medicines, namely Ivermectin and Favipiravi, to determine its efficacy in treating COVID-19.

Recent global studies already showed that Ivermectin have been very effective in preventing and treating COVID-19, as it is an anti-parasitic and anti-viral drug that was originally developed in 1975.

It is also listed as an essential anti-parasitic drug by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is distributed in US, approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA).

Globally, over 3.7 billion doses of Ivermectin have been distributed for more than 30 years, with no reported adverse side effects or deaths, making its safety record ‘second to none’.

However, Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah pointed out that the drug is only licenced for use on animals in Malaysia as it ‘is cheap and easily available’.

While there has been talks and arguments (by some big pharmaceutical companies involved in vaccine development) against the usage of Ivermectin, the global situation is quickly shifting in favour of it being a viable option for COVID-19 treatment.

In view of the worsening COVID-19 infections in Malaysia, the Government is advised to have a ‘Plan B’ to approve the use of Ivermectin. Especially considering the many unanswered questions and lack of data on the long-term safety aspects of the Pfizer experimental mRNA vaccine (which Malaysia already ordered).

MOH has already given Conditional Approval to the controversial Pfizer experimental mRNA vaccine (which was given Emergency Authorisation by their US FDA despite the inconclusive human clinical trials in US) without having to do any clinical trials in Malaysia. – Feb 04, 2021

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