‘Hazardous’: TGA issues warning on controversial drug

Australia’s medicines regulator has issued an urgent warning on a controversial drug that has shot to prominence in the past 18 months.

Australia’s drug regulator has issued a fresh warning to people not to import a drug championed by anti-vaxxers as an alternative treatment for Covid-19.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration tested a number of imported products labelled as Ivermectin and found they were counterfeit.

The TGA said the testing was a warning against buying drugs online from unverified sellers.

“Counterfeit products may contain undeclared and hazardous ingredients that could cause a serious adverse reaction,” the regulator said on Tuesday.

“They may also be contaminated because of a lack of manufacturing and testing standards.”

Ivermectin is used for treating infections caused by parasites and inflammatory rosacea. It is also used to treat parasite infections in farm animals.

Imported ivermectin as seized by the TGA.

The drug has been widely discredited by medical experts as a treatment for Covid-19.

While clinical trials on the drug‘s ability to treat or prevent the virus are ongoing, no available data has proven it is effectiveness.

Ivermectin has been championed by those against the Covid-19 vaccine as a “miracle cure” for the virus.

But the TGA has strongly warned against self-medicating with unproven Covid-19 treatments, such as Ivermectin.

“The TGA strongly discourages self-medication and self-dosing for the treatment or prevention of Covid-19,” it said.

“It is very dangerous to take large doses of Ivermectin and there is insufficient evidence to validate its safe and effective use for Covid-19.”

It’s the second time the TGA has issued a warning to Australians about the drug, after an increase of imports in August.

The TGA is working with the Australian Border Force to target counterfeit and unlawful Ivermectin entering Australia.

The ABF will refer suspected counterfeit products to the TGA for further direction.