By Alec Go
Preparations for the clinical trial of anti-parasitic drug ivermectin as COVID-19 medication are underway, with participant recruitment set to begin next month.
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary Rowena Guevara on Saturday (Oct. 23) said they have already identified study sites in select quarantine facilities in the National Capital Region.
“Ang ating patient recruitment ay mag-uumpisa ngayong Nobyembre at ang release ng preliminary results ay sa end po ng December 2021,” Guevara said in the Laging Handa briefing.
The study led by Dr. Aileen Wang of the University of the Philippines (UP) – Manila will include 1,464 asymptomatic participants or those with non-severe COVID-19.
Among selected study cites include the quarantine facilities of Ateneo, De La Salle University, UP Diliman, and Makati Science High School. Participants may also be recruited in Regions 2 and 9.
The UP College of Pharmacy has been tapped to formulate local ivermectin capsules for the “double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized-controlled trial.”
Read more: DOST: Ivermectin clinical trials result may benefit drug developers, public
The government announced in April this year that an ivermectin trial will be conducted in accordance with President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive. This is amid the reported use of the drug which has not yet been proven to treat COVID-19. -rir
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