MULTIPLE 鈥渂uyers clubs鈥� are trying to import the drug ivermectin to the UK to prevent and treat covid-19, even though there is no evidence supporting use of the drug in this way, and it could even be dangerous.
The UK Medicines and 午夜福利1000集合 products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) has cautioned people not to try to buy ivermectin through third parties to treat covid-19. The drug is used to treat parasite infections in humans and some other animals, but has gained a lot of attention as an unproven drug for preventing or treating covid-19.
鈥淚vermectin is not a licensed medicine for covid-19. It can only be taken by those participating in closely supervised and highly regulated clinical trials,鈥� an MHRA spokesperson told New Scientist. 鈥淣ever self-prescribe or try to obtain medicines from an unregulated source 鈥� only take medicines prescribed by your doctor and obtained via a registered pharmacy or reputable outlet.鈥�
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Highly concentrated
In the US, supplies of the human and livestock forms of ivermectin have run short after some people opposed to covid-19 vaccines sought to use it to treat or prevent infection. But , current evidence doesn鈥檛 show that ivermectin is effective against covid-19 鈥� although clinical trials are ongoing.
鈥淭aking large doses of ivermectin is dangerous,鈥� the FDA says on its website. The FDA also warns that formulations of ivermectin for animals are often highly concentrated and may contain inactive ingredients that haven鈥檛 been evaluated for use in people. Poison control centres in the US are struggling with , and health officials in New Mexico recently reported that .
Throughout the pandemic, a number of drugs have attracted attention as possible preventatives of or treatments for covid-19. Like the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine before it, ivermectin is being used by some people with covid-19 to try to halt the onset of symptoms, and by some people who are against vaccines as a preventative measure. Trials of hydroxychloroquine haven鈥檛 found evidence of any benefits of using it for covid-19.
The desire of some to source ivermectin for covid-19 isn鈥檛 limited to the US. . If approved, the group says it would then plan to source ivermectin formulated for human use from a Bulgarian company and distribute it among members.
鈥淲e鈥檝e hired regulatory consultants to submit the application for us,鈥� says Tess Lawrie of the Ivermectin Approval Club, run by UK non-profit organisation EbMCsquared. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very slow process.鈥�
Lawrie believes ivermectin is a safe and effective treatment for covid-19 that can reduce the risk of people dying from the disease, and wants people to have the chance to use it 鈥� perhaps as a prophylactic for those at high risk.
But others are trying to source ivermectin without seeking regulatory approval. New Scientist has seen messages shared in a group on the encrypted chat app Telegram that calls itself the Ivermectin Buyers Club. The chat group isn鈥檛 connected to the group seeking MHRA approval. It has around 1300 members, and the group鈥檚 administrator has offered to supply ivermectin to buyers around the world for 拢3 a tablet.
鈥淚vermectin is not a licensed medicine for covid-19. It can only be taken by those in closely supervised trials鈥�
The seller, who goes by the pseudonym Ron Woodroof 鈥� a reference to the creator of the Dallas Buyers Club, which purchased AIDS treatments in the 1980s 鈥� offered to send the tablets to me when I posed as someone interested in purchasing ivermectin.
In both a private chat and in the public group, Woodroof claimed to source the drug from a pharmacist in India and import it to the UK. Prospective clients seeking a supply of ivermectin in the Telegram group purport to come from all over the world. Woodroof has shared evidence in the group of multiple deliveries to customers.
Woodroof told me he was selling 鈥渉igh grade human ivermectin鈥� that is shipped from the UK. The seller reassured me that 鈥渕ore [ivermectin is] coming at all times so I wouldn鈥檛 stress鈥�.
Payments in bitcoin
An MHRA spokesperson told New Scientist that importing ivermectin into the UK for anything other than personal use is illegal and would constitute a criminal offence. 鈥淎nyone in the UK who imports a medicine for personal use, must not sell on, or supply imported medicines to others,鈥� said the spokesperson.
In recent weeks, Woodroof has moved to accepting payment for the pills only through the encrypted and difficult-to-track cryptocurrency bitcoin. However, all transactions associated with a given bitcoin wallet are stored permanently on the blockchain, an unalterable ledger. The wallet that Woodroof asked me to send money to has received US$3863 (or 0.09 bitcoin) since the start of September. In all, 42 transactions have been associated with the wallet.
Woodroof stopped responding to me when I identified myself as a reporter. Before that, he deleted the messages we exchanged.
While unproven drugs aren鈥檛 a credible alternative to vaccines, there have been some legitimate successes in repurposing existing drugs for treating covid-19. The antiviral drug remdesivir has been approved for this purpose by the FDA, as has baricitinib, a rheumatoid arthritis drug, for people on ventilators.
