Doctor hopes to get FDA nod for his ivermectin pills within May
By Celerina Monte
A doctor advocating for the use of the anti-parasitic ivermectin against coronavirus disease said on Wednesday the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may issue within this month a certificate of product registration for his own "mixed" ivermectin pills, which can be used by many Filipinos.
In an interview with Manila Shimbun, Allan Landrito admitted that since the third week of March, he stopped prescribing his compounded ivermectin after the Department of Health and FDA issued an advisory, using the photos of his own product, to manufacturers not to sell the medicine which are not registered.
But Landrito said, his company is one of the eight firms that applied for a CPR from FDA.
"Since we have applied for it...we're expecting anytime in May, this month (an approval from the FDA)," Landrito said.
The FDA recently granted a CPR to Lloyd Laboratories for manufacture and sale of ivermectin as an anti-nematode drug.
Landrito said once his manufacturer gets the CPR, they will distribute the ivermectin to the different pharmacies all over the country.
"We will intensify our drive in giving ivermectin to people despite the government discouraging it and telling it's for parasite. We will give it really as for COVID," he said.
The physician, who has been on leave as one of the doctors of the Muntilupa City Health Office, said he never had an intention of doing business from ivermectin.
"I just want people to get (a) cure of COVID-19 and get prevented from getting COVID-19. I'm not a businessman. I don't have any intention, although now I'm realizing people want my brand. I'm having it patented because the mix is different from their (other pharmaceutical firms) mix," he said.
Prior to stopping giving prescription to his patients with his own compounded ivermectin last March, Landrito said since July last year, about 10,000 individuals have used his drug either as prophylaxis or treatment for minor to severe COVID-19 cases.
He met his patients via Zoom, like telemedicine, and asked their concerns and if they were taking other drugs. Landrito allowed them to sign an "informed written consent" before prescribing them ivermectin.
Before January this year, he said he advised his patients who were using the ivermectin as prophylaxis to take one pill of 15 milligrams every other three weeks.
But starting January when new COVID-19 variants, such as UK and South African, entered the country, he advised his patients to take one capsule every other two weeks after taking one capsule each on the first two days.
He acknowledged that some patients had experienced minor side effects for using ivermectin, such as diarrhea for some 150 individuals and allergy for about 50.
Landrito said if only ivermectin would be given to all Filipinos, there is likelihood that COVID-19 in the country could be eliminated earlier than expected.
"We've been telling, we give every Filipino ivermectin for two months. We will cut our cases by 93 percent and you extend it for another two months, we will end our pandemic," said Landrito, who is also regularly taking his own mixed ivermectin since July.
Landrito said he was getting his raw materials for ivermectin in China.
The physician said he will not avail of the COVID-19 vaccination program of the government as he expressed belief that ivermectin is safer and has better efficacy against the virus.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered the concerned government agencies to conduct clinical trials for ivermectin, which according to advocates are also much cheaper compared to other medicines being used against COVID-19. DMS
