Houston doctor Joseph Varon touts Ivermectin as part of COVID treatment, against FDA warning

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – Ivermectin was developed to treat parasites in humans and animals.

It is an FDA approved drug for this specific purpose at a very specific dose, but for over a year Dr. Joseph Varon has said he has proudly used it, off label, to treat thousands of patients. COVID-19 admitted to United Memorial Medical Center.

“I have used ivermectin in a few thousand patients,” he said. “I can’t tell you the exact number, but I know there have been quite a few patients and I haven’t seen a single significant side effect. Not one,” Varon said.

He and his colleagues started touting the drug last December, holding a press conference to implore the medical community to use it as part of COVID-19 treatment.

But a recent surge in pet food stores, where the drug is sold as a dewormer for cows and horses, has prompted the FDA to issue a warning, saying ivermectin should not be used to treat or prevent disease. coronavirus.

It is not approved for this use.

READ MORE: Horse dewormer as COVID treatment is puzzling pet shops

Additionally, the animal version of the drug, according to the FDA, is different from the human version, claiming in part that “Animal drugs are often very concentrated because they are used for large animals like horses and cows, which can weigh much more. than us, a ton or more. Such high doses can be highly toxic to humans.

Dr Jill Weatherhead, assistant professor of infectious diseases and tropical medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, shares the same warning.

“When you start off-label treatment without any scientific evidence of benefit, without a standardized dosage or treatment duration, you may experience significant problems in terms of side effects,” she said.

Varon told ABC13 his team started using the drug last summer, saying “people were dying.”

“We were in the midst of a pandemic,” he said. “You have to try things. You have no choice.”

He said based on his data, ivermectin, in combination with COVID therapies, is saving lives.

“It’s not just ivermectin,” he said. “This is where people are confused. Ivermectin helps you, but it helps when you give it in addition to other components of existing treatment protocols.”

Again, it’s important to note that ivermectin is not FDA approved for the treatment or prevention of COVID and the agency strongly suggests that you should never ingest drugs developed for animals.

For updates on this report, follow ABC13 reporter Shelley Childers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.