University of Free State prepares for clinical trial of Ivermectin

Farmovs, a wholly owned clinical research company of the University of the Free State (UFS) – together with several medical and scientific experts at the university – are preparing a clinical trial protocol to determine the efficacy of Ivermectin for Covid-19 in a randomised, controlled study in order to submit it for approval to the relevant regulatory authority.

The statement from UFS yesterday came as AfriForum announced it had brought an urgent court application against the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) and Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize “to ensure that ivermectin developed for human consumption is available to doctors who want to prescribe it to treat Covid-19”.

ALSO READ: Doctors lobbying for Ivermectin must approach Sahpra to run clinical trials – Mkhize

While the drug has been approved for humans in combating worms, Sahpra has maintained that its use in tackling coronavirus has not been proved, nor has it been approved for use in tackling the virus.

“Farmovs is a South African specialty full-service clinical research organisation conducting ICH-GCP-compliant Phase I to IVclinical trials,” the UFS statement
read.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.