StemCell Therapy

Press release: Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council

There have been reports of early stage research on the antiparasitic drug ivermectin as a possible treatment for COVID-19.

In animal health, ivermectin is most commonly used as a heartworm preventive in dogs and cats, and well as for treating internal and external parasites in many species.

On behalf of the entire responsible pet care community, we warn the public that they should never use pet care products, or any products, for any purpose other than what the label directs. Products marketed for veterinary use or otherwise not for human consumption should never be ingested or used for self-treatment of COVID-19 or any human medical condition.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Veterinary Medicine has issued a letter to stakeholders warning against humans using ivermectin products intended for animals. FDA is concerned about the health of consumers who may self-medicate by taking ivermectin products intended for animals, thinking they can be a substitute for ivermectin intended for humans. People should never take animal drugs, as the FDA has only evaluated their safety and effectiveness in the particular animal species for which they are labeled. These animal drugs can cause serious harm in people. People should not take any form of ivermectin unless it has been prescribed to them by a licensed health care provider and is obtained through a legitimate source.

FDAs recommendations:

The FDA has established a cross-agency task force dedicated to closely monitoring for fraudulent COVID-19 products that reaches out to major retailers to ask for their help in monitoring online marketplaces. Products that claim to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure COVID-19 are subject to FDA investigation and potential enforcement action if they have not demonstrated safety and effectiveness for that intended use. The task force has already worked with retailers to remove dozens of these types of product listings online.

Please help us protect public health by alerting FDA of anyone claiming to have a product to prevent or cure COVID-19 and to help safeguard human and animal health by reporting any of these products toFDA-COVID-19-Fraudulent-Products@fda.hhs.govor 1-888-InfoFDA (1-888-463-6332).

The most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to avoid being exposed to the virus and taking steps to protect yourself as recommended by CDC:

For the latest information and resources about how to protect yourself, your customers, your associates and the animals you care for; mandatory closure orders as they pertain to pet care businesses; and other health and business continuity resources please visitpijac.org/covid19.

Continued here:
PIJAC Warns About Using Ivermectin to Treat COVID-19 - Pet Age

This entry was posted on April 13, 2020 at 3:59 pm and is filed under Veterinary Medicine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |