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Findings on Ivermectin treatment to be presented to MoH stakeholders

KUALA LUMPUR: The findings of Ivermectin Treatment Efficacy in Covid-19 High-Risk Patients (I-Tech) are expected to be presented to Health Ministry stakeholders by the end of October.

Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali told the Dewan Negara today, the I-Tech trials have completed the process of recruiting 500 patients and is now in the final stage of its study analysis.

"After the findings are presented to the ministry stakeholders, they will be shared with the public.

"So far, the findings to prove Ivermectin can treat or prevent Covid-19 infection are limited," he said during the Upper House question and answer session here, today.

Noor Azmi was responding to Senator Datuk Bashir Alias on the status of clinical studies on the effectiveness of the use of Ivermectin to treat Covid-19 patients conducted by the ministry and whether there is scientific evidence at the international level, and the measures taken to overcome the problem of Ivermectin.

He said the I-Tech clinical trials involved 500 patients with comorbidities aged 50 and above and are positive of Covid-19 between Categories 2 and 3 and are being treated nationwide involving 20 hospitals.

On scientific evidence over the use of Ivermectin, Noor Azmi said the healthcare and medicine database, Cochrane Library on July 28, had issued a statement to not support the use of Ivermectin to treat or prevent Covid-19 infection.

"It is based on a systematic analysis of 14 clinical studies involving 1,678 participants. The Cochrane Library summarises the need for better quality research data to be published for analysis.

"There were recent large-scale clinical studies involving Covid-19 patients who were not hospitalised and displayed mild symptoms involved in the Ivermectin to Prevent Hospitalisations in Patients with Covid-19 (IVERCORCOVID19) trials in Argentina and a joint trial in Brazil which found the drug not effective in preventing hospitalisation," he said.

On measures taken to solve the unauthorised use of Ivermectin, Noor Azmi said the Health Ministry through its Pharmacy Enforcement Division has been conducting monitoring and enforcement to ensure health products and medicines marketed in the country are registered with the Drug Control Authority (DCA) before being sold to the public.

"Registered health products have MAL registration numbers as well as hologram security stickers on the label.

"The ministry is also monitoring and receiving public complaints to curb the sale of unregistered health products including products that claim to treat Covid-19 such as Ivermectin.

"Companies or individuals found to own or sell unregistered health products will be investigated and prosecuted in court under the Sale of Drugs Act 1952," he said.

Noor Azmi said the Pharmacy Enforcement Division has received a total 175 complaints about Ivermectin till Sept this year.

"A total 17 premises were raided last year, with RM7,193 worth of goods seized. There were raids on 43 premises and 17 inspections this year with seized products valued at RM124,815," he said.

Noor Azmi added that the ministry has been raising public awareness about the use of registered health products through public dialogues, talks, the Know Your Medicine Campaign, Know Your Medicine Ambassador and Online Drug Purchase Alert Campaign nationwide.

"Through the campaign, information related to health products or registered medicines are distributed to various communities to raise awareness and inform the public when purchasing health products.

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