PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Now, let’s talk to the FDA. Dr. Domingo, [Dr. Domingo: Yes, Mr. President.] what do you think is the timeframe from now, this moment, na matapos itong mga tests lahat pati ‘yong Ivermectin?
Kasi maraming bumilib diyan eh, maraming doktor ang bumilib diyan. Kaya baka if there are doctors willing to put out their neck on the chopping board, ipusta nila ang integrity nila, so there has to be some truth in it.
Or at least ang medisina or whatever it is, has an effect in fighting COVID or building the antibodies in your system. Gaano ito sila katagal, sir?
FDA CHIEF ERIC DOMINGO: Well, Mr. President, ang sinasabi lang naman po ng mga espesiyalista natin is that we wait for the evidence.
At makikita naman po natin in the next siguro one to two months dahil marami na pong ongoing na clinical trials sa buong mundo, makikita naman na magkakalinaw na kung talagang magagamit siya, at kung magagamit naman, kung paano ‘yong dosage ‘no kasi sa ngayon po hindi pa rin po masyadong malinaw ‘yan. Iyon pong clinical trial natin mga six to eight months po siguro ‘yon, ‘yong sa DOST, bago tayo magkaroon ng preliminary trials.
But even before that, ‘yan pong mga international magkakaroon din naman po tayo nang mas malinaw na pagkakaintindi sa gamot na ‘yan probably in the next ano one to two months po.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: Because there’s a lot of people, thousands are waiting for the —- hoping for the positive result of Ivermectin.
Now, I — I would like to know if do you know of an iota of success up to now sa Ivermectin?
CHIEF DOMINGO: Well, iyan po kasing mga studies, some would show benefits and some would not ‘no kaya po talagang hindi pa tayo sigurado, or kung may benefit man po ay medyo maliit lang po ‘yong benefit niya. It’s not a miracle drug.
Kaya lang po kasi ‘yong mga naunang mga study, mas hindi po kasing well-designed katulad po nang gagawin ng DOST ‘no. Kaya po ‘yong mga ongoing ngayon mga well-designed studies na po ‘yan at diyan po natin makikita talaga kung — mas objective po kasi talaga at mas maganda po ‘yong ebidensiya na lalabas.
There’s a possibility po that it is useful but there’s always that possibility po na it’s the same as not taking it ‘no. Kaya po talagang kailangan lang pong hintayin lang natin ‘yong clearer evidence on the effect po talaga ng Ivermectin sa COVID-19.
PRESIDENT DUTERTE: I am praying that Ivermectin could be of use to maski ano na lang, palliative na ma — hindi ka mahawa kaagad.
There has to be — there has to be an effect in that thing there that is being introduced into your body kasi kung for preventive mayroon ka, kung maglabas ‘yan that’s what also I am hoping that it will turn out that way that we can use it so that ako — ako ang maunang mag-ano because inumin mo para ano ka ‘yong at least preventive.