Ivermectin Latest: Fake news exposed as activists seek court order

Ivermectin is not yet registered as a medicine for the treatment of Covid-19 in the country as incorrectly reported by the SABC today which just got rapped over the knuckles for spreading “fake news” on social media.

This comes as Afriforum awaits the outcome of its case in the Pretoria High Court today. The case has been postponed for judgment until 2pm this afternoon.

The SA Health Products Regulatory Authority lambasted @SABCNews for its Tweet this morning which stated “The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority has agreed to allow the use of Ivermectin for COVID-19 patients without doctors going through the Section 21 process. This means that #Ivermectin is now registered in South Africa as a medicine.”

To which SAPRHA swiftly responded: “@SABCNews This is incorrect! Please get your facts straight and do not spread fake news!”

The truth of the matter is that SAPRHA on March 16 issued a media release stating that it had registered Soolantra 10mg/g cream formulation, which contains ivermectin. The holder of the certificate of registration is Galderma South Africa. 

“Soolantra Cream is indicated for the topical treatment of moderate to severe inflammatory lesions of papulopustular rosacea in adult patients and is not for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19,” SAPRHA said in the statement.

“The registration of Soolantra Cream is not in response to any of the current pending court cases regarding access to ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. To date, there is insufficient scientific evidence on the efficacy of ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. SAHPRA’s position, as communicated on 28 January 2021, remains as stated,” SAPRHA said.

SAHPRA said it would continue to monitor emerging scientific data in this regard and will respond accordingly. 

“SAHPRA has received no application for the registration of an ivermectin-containing medicine for the management of COVID-19. Where medical practitioners wish to prescribe a finished pharmaceutical product, such as a tablet,  for a patient at risk of or diagnosed with COVID-19, they will still need to apply for access to an unregistered medicine in terms of section 21. Further, SAHPRA’s Ivermectin Controlled Compassionate Use Programme, which relies on section 21 of the Act, remains in place.”