World
Philippines to start clinical trials on Ivermectin, other drugs for Covid-19
![](/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/image-5-780x470.jpg)
The Philippines will begin clinical trials of several drugs, including the anti-parasite medication Ivermectin, in patients with Covid-19 to determine their efficacy in combatting the virus, a senior government official said.
Politicians in the Philippines started promoting the use of Ivermectin for Covid-19 and given out free doses, although the country’s food and drugs regulator has cautioned against it for lack of evidence of the drug as a treatment, Reuters reported.
According to science and technology minister, Fortunato Dela Pena, on Monday, the clinical trial for Ivermectin, which could last six months, will provide a more reliable estimate of its effects as an anti-viral agent in mild and moderate Covid-19 patients.