The FDA issued a warning to Americans in December 2021 asking them not to treat or prevent COVID-19 with ivermectin meant for animals.
At the time, this statement was highly contentious because the FDA had previously recommended the drug to African migrants and it had received positive reviews from numerous scientific journals.
Ivermectin has proven to be highly effective in treating COVID-19 in its early stages in over 93 scientific investigations. There is no denying the science.
The US government disapproved of its use for COVID-19 despite this.
You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it. https://t.co/TWb75xYEY4
— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) August 21, 2021
In a recent hearing, government attorneys contended that when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised people to “stop” taking ivermectin for COVID-19, they were merely providing advice and there was no requirement to do so.
Three doctors who allege the FDA’s statements on ivermectin, an antiparasitic that has showed promise in some studies against COVID-19, infringed their constitutional freedom to practice medicine, according to Epoch Times, had their complaint heard in federal court in Texas on November 1.
One of the attorneys, Isaac Belfer, asserted that the relevant comments were neither orders nor requirements. They were recommendations, he added.
“They said what parties should do. They said, for example, why you should not take ivermectin to treat COVID-19. They did not say you may not do it, you must not do it. They did not say it’s prohibited or unlawful. They also did not say that doctors may not prescribe ivermectin.”
Ivermectin has received FDA approval for use in treating several vector-borne illnesses, but not COVID-19. Ivermectin is only safe for use in horses, not for human consumption, the Food and Drug Administration advised the public via its Twitter account.
It requested that the court rule the FDA’s actions to be unlawful and bar the organization from releasing guidelines or opinions regarding the administration of COVID-19 using ivermectin.
Dr. Paul Marik of Virginia, Dr. Mary Bowden of Texas, and Dr. Robert Apter of Arizona are the three plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
