PETALING JAYA: There is not enough credible data to show any benefits from the off-label use of Ivermectin in Covid-19 patients and it could even have negative effects if widely used, experts said.
In the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, several Pakatan Harapan (PH) MPs called for the quick approval of the drug to treat Covid-19 patients.
However, former deputy health minister Dr Lee Boon Chye, who is also part of the opposition, said he does not endorse the use of the anti-parasitic drug for Covid-19, citing insufficient data.
Lee, the PKR MP for Gopeng, stressed that the focus in the battle against Covid-19 should be on ramping up vaccinations, more proven to prevent hospitalisation and death.
“What R Sivarasa (PH-Sungai Buloh) said about Ivermectin was whether or not doctors could decide by themselves to use it to treat Covid-19. He was raising this issue on behalf of the doctors who believe in its efficacy, citing some of the studies,” he told FMT.
“I respect his right to raise the issue on behalf of these doctors, but I agree with the health ministry’s position to wait for more evidence from ongoing clinical trials before approval.”
Sivarasa was among the seven opposition MPs who had called for Ivermectin’s approval yesterday. The others were Mohamad Sabu (Kota Raja), Khalid Samad (Shah Alam), Johari Abdul (Sungai Petani), Sim Tze Tzin (Bayan Baru), William Leong (Selayang) and P Prabakaran (Batu).
The MPs said India and the Philippines had successfully used the drug to reduce infections without any reported side effects. However, neither India nor the Philippines had publicly announced this.
Health minister Dr Adham Baba maintained that they will be waiting for more data.
Lee also warned that doctors would need to bear the risk of administering the drug for Covid-19, as the manufacturers would not be liable for any risks associated with its off-label use.
“In practice, when doctors use Ivermectin for Covid-19 now, they may be vulnerable to legal suits from patients for any side effects or if the patient‘s condition deteriorates while being treated with Ivermectin,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) said there had been no proven benefit from using Ivermectin for Covid-19 despite earlier indications that it could help with the progression of the disease.
Its president, Dr Subramaniam Muniandy, also warned that the use of Ivermectin as a “cheap and relatively safe” cure was a bad idea, which may dissuade people from getting vaccinated.
Subramaniam said studies so far only showed that it was effective at inhibiting the virus in a laboratory setting at very high concentrations, which may be lethal and unsafe in humans in real-life applications.
“Some studies, in fact, show increased progression to ventilator use in Covid-19 patients given Ivermectin,” he said.
“One of the largest studies showing a positive result for Ivermectin use has been withdrawn on suspicion of fraud.
“Also, low risk is not no risk. If Ivermectin’s use is widespread, then adverse effects will occur.”
Azrul Khalib, CEO of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, cited studies by the European Medicines Agency and the US National Institutes of Health, which determined that Ivermectin was not recommended for Covid-19.
“I understand the appeal for a low-cost prophylactic,” Azrul said. “However, despite showing some results in lowering viral load and duration of symptoms among mild Covid-19 patients in small studies, it has not been shown to have any effective therapeutic benefit for those with moderate or severe disease (Category 3, 4 and 5).” - FMT
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