KUALA LUMPUR: There is no clinical data to prove that Ivermectin is effective in treating and preventing Covid-19, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
"The Health Ministry advises against the usage of Ivermectin for the purpose of treating and preventing Covid-19 as there is no clinical data to prove its effectiveness against the coronavirus.
"The National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Division under the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) has also informed that so far no products with Ivermectin are registered with the Drug Control Authority for human consumption," he said in a statement today.
Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic drug mostly used in veterinary medicine, especially in treating worm infestations.
Dr Noor Hisham said the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve the indication of Ivermectin for treatment or as a prevention of Covid-19.
He said this matter had been explained by the FDA in an article titled "Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent Covid-19" that was published on May 3.
"Apart from that, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) also takes the same approach. It has not recommended the use of Ivermectin to treat Covid-19 as there is no sufficient clinical data to prove the effectiveness of the product in treating and preventing Covid-19.
"The explanation was included in the article titled 'EMA Advises Against Use of Ivermectin for the Prevention or Treatment of Covid-19 Outside Randomised Clinical Trials' on March 22."
He further explained that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has only allowed Ivermectin as a Covid-19 treatment in clinical trials based on the content in the article entitled "WHO Advises That Ivermectin Only Be Used to Treat Covid-19 Within Clinical Trials" published on March 31.
Earlier, in a separate statement, Dr Noor Hisham said his ministry has initiated a randomised clinical trial to repurpose Ivermectin and evaluate its efficacy and safety in high risk Covid-19 patients.
He said the trial would enrol 500 Covid-19 patients who were admitted to 12 government hospitals.
"Through this study, Health Ministry hopes to have a correct perspective on the clinical effectiveness of Ivermectin.
"Although Malaysia's risk for Covid-19 may be heightened at the moment, we must keep in mind that in all circumstances, we need to take necessary steps to figure out what really works.
"Without the benefit of evidence from well-designed clinical trials, the Health Ministry is not yet able to endorse Ivermectin to prevent or treat Covid-19 illness. Science remains the best weapon against the SARS-Cov-2 virus, not circumstantial hype.
He said the Health Ministry has always prioritised the safety and well-being of Malaysians in the Covid-19 battle by paying full attention to the usage of approved treatment on Malaysians.
"Adherence to the standard operating procedure is currently the most effective measure to control the spread of Covid-19 outbreak in Malaysia."
Recently, the Malaysian Coalition on Integrity of Vaccines & Drugs Against Covid-19 (CIVDAC), surmised that no one would die from Covid-19 if only Ivermectin is given from the onset of one's illness.
CIVDAC had cited scientific proof on the utility of Ivermectin as recommended by some experts from US-based Front Line Covid-19 Critical Care (FLCCC).