Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 29) — There is no evidence to support the efficacy of a medicine that the country’s military chief requested from China to treat coronavirus, the Department of Health said Wednesday.
The agency said although there was a study on Carrimycin that was scheduled on the US National Library of Medicine portal in February, there are still no available results yet.
“Kagaya ng ibang investigational therapies para sa COVID, hindi po nirerekomenda ng DOH ang mga gamot na ito para sa COVID hangga’t wala pa tayong matibay at malawakang scientific evidence na ito ay ligtas at epektibo,” said Health spokesperson Ma. Rosario Vergeire in the DOH daily virtual briefing.
[Translation: Like other investigational therpies on COVID-19, the DOH does not recommend these medicinces for COVID-19 until we have strong and sufficient scientific evidence saying this is safe and effective.]
Earlier, Armed Forces chief Gen. Filemon Santos, who recovered from COVID-19, requested Chinese Ambassador Huang Xillian to procure the drug to treat his friends infected with the virus.
The Health department there are ongoing clinical trials on drugs that can possibly treat COVID-19, including the “Solidarity” study led by the World Health Organization and participated in by the Philippines.
