As controversy swirls around the use of a well-known anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin, commonly used in animals and to treat scabies and head lice in humans, against the Covid-19 coronavirus, the SA Health Products Authority (Sahpra) which had previously taken a hard line against the drug, now says it would welcome and expedite applications for its clinical trials.
Further, the local regulatory authority has said it’s also open to considering enabling access to improved formulations of the drug for human use through a Section 21 authorisation of the Medicines and Related Substances Act – which allows Sahpra to authorise the sale of an unregistered medicine for a certain purpose for a specified period.