Federal MP David Gillespie joins push to use lice drugs to treat coronavirus

Experts and a federal MP are calling for drugs typically used to treat parasitic infections to be approved for off-label use in COVID-19 cases.

Nationals MP David Gillespie. Picture: AAP

Leading health experts and a federal MP are doubling down on calls for drugs typically used to treat parasitic infections to be approved for off-label use in COVID-19 cases following Victoria’s deadliest day of coronavirus fatalities.

Nationals MP and gastroenterologist David Gillespie has joined leading digestive disease expert Professor Thomas Borody in petitioning for three already approved off-the-shelf drugs – Ivermectin, doxycycline and zinc – to be made available to treat COVID-19 due to a wealth of emerging data the drugs could be effective in treating the virus.

Ivermectin – used widely to treat head lice and scabies – has been found to stop coronavirus growing in cell culture in numerous global studies, including one led by the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and other clinical studies which have led to some jurisdictions approving it.

Dr Gillespie said allowing the provisional, off-label use of the drugs to treat COVID-19 patients would give professional relief to doctors who may currently be too worried to prescribe the drugs for an illness they have not been approved for.

“Extraordinary times called for extraordinary responses,” Dr Gillespie said.

“The drugs in question are well-used drugs with a well-known pharmaceutical profile in humans for a variety of infections. We are in the middle of a pandemic and in the avalanche of information coming from around the world there’s good indication these drugs may have a major therapeutic benefit to mild, moderate and maybe even severe cases of coronavirus.”

Victoria recorded 19 deaths in the 24 hours to Monday, 14 of those related to aged care facilities.

Professor Borody is urging the drug regulatory agency, TGA, to make the triple-prong therapy available in aged care homes “immediately”.

“Our elderly are at the highest risk and this is a very safe option especially when we have nothing else except ventilators,” Professor Borody said.

“Our frontline workers deserve more protection with a preventive medication like this, and as emergency treatment if they test positive. An Ivermectin tablet can cost as little as $2 – which could make it by far the cheapest, safest, and fastest cure for Australians and the Australian economy.”

Dr Gillespie said if the drugs were approved for off-label use in COVID-19 treatment, Australian data and non-placebo comparative trials could be rapidly be initiated.

“We’ve got the best system in the world so why don’t we ask them to do a rapid review,” Dr Gillespie said.

Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos in April warned people against self-medicating with the head lice treatment.

“There is no reason to be buying lice treatment unless you’re going to be using it on your children’s hair,” Ms Mikakos said.

“I just want to stress that because we’ve heard about people overseas who have heard about potential developments and then have ingested drugs that have been used in a completely inappropriate way and have died as a result.”

Dr Gillespie, who worked for 33 years as a gastroenterologist, said he would be continuing to lobby the relevant bodies about the issue this week.