Institute for Clinical Research director Dr Kalaiarasu M Peariasamy said once a person is tested positive for Covid-19, the researchers may recruit the patient’s close contacts who have not yet tested positive but have been exposed to the virus for this study.

He was referring to claims that Ivermectin was more useful as a prophylactic agent.

However, Kalaiarasu told an online media briefing on the Ivermectin effectiveness (I-tech) study today that “nothing substantial” had cropped up to carry out the new study so far.

He said the study may involve 300 participants at 10 health facilities in Kedah, Perak, Penang and Perlis.

It has been named “Randomised, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled Clinical Trial of Ivermectin For Post Exposure Prophylaxis For COVID-19 Infection Among Close Contacts” or I-CPEP.

Approval for the study is awaited from the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).

Previously, the institute had carried out a study on the effectiveness of Ivermectin in treating hospitalised Covid-19 patients at high risk.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the study found that the parasitic drug yielded no significant differences in admissions to the intensive care unit.

He said the health ministry would not recommend the use of Ivermectin to treat such patients.

However, a doctor who had his clinic raided by authorities for supplying Ivermectin to his patients said the ministry’s study could not make any conclusions on its efficacy for prevention and early treatment.

Dr Amir Farid Isahak said that based on 65 studies analysed at ivmmeta.com, Ivermectin was found to be “most useful” in prevention (or as a prophylaxis), “less useful” when it came to early treatment, and “least useful” for late treatment of Covid-19 cases.

“So this (health ministry) study does not change our perspective about using Ivermectin as a prophylaxis and early treatment,” he said.

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