THE Health Ministry is in the midst of developing clinical trials for ivermectin (IVM) and favipiravir, to test the efficacy of the medicines against Covid-19, said Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

“The Institute of Clinical Research and MoH’s infectious disease specialists are in the process of developing a clinical trial on IVM, as well as favipiravir to further ascertain the efficacy of these medicine.

“We shall update the outcome in due course,” he said in a Facebook post today.

The director-general of health said oral IVM is listed as an essential medicine by the World Health Organisation since 2019.

The anthelminthic drug is used to treat various parasitic infestations. 

“IVM is cheap, easily available and safe for use and in Malaysia, (it) is only licensed for use in animals.”

Laboratory work showed IVM has broad spectrum antiviral properties against RNA and DNA viruses. 

On that basis, some clinicians have repurposed IVM with other standard of care against Covid-19, he said.

There were case reports indicating the potential beneficial outcomes of prescribing IVM to patients at an early stage of SARS-CoV-2 infection, he said. 

These include limiting viral load and preventing person-to-person transmission. This includes limiting viral load and preventing person-to-person transmission. 

Citing a pilot study by medical journal Lancet, Noor Hisham said although the drug shows some promising results, authors have concluded that the study “warrants further exploration” under larger trials with clinical outcomes in patients with risk factors or more severe diseases.

Currently, there is insufficient data to support the use of the drug for the treatment of Covid-19.

Noor Hisham said in March last year that the ministry was considering the use of favipiravir in Covid-19 treatment. – January 22, 2021.