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The FDA forced to remove pages and posts on social media against the use of ivermectin to treat Covid

Ivermectin

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to remove social media posts and web pages urging people to stop taking ivermectin to treat COVID-19, according to a March 21 settlement. Even if the organization claims to have not changed its mind on the appropriateness of its use, this is nevertheless a notable change in position.

The FDA has already removed a page that said: “Should I take ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19? No".

Within 21 days, the FDA will remove another page titled “Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19,” according to the settlement announcement, which was filed in federal court in South Texas.

“The FDA has not cleared or approved the use of ivermectin to prevent or treat COVID-19 in humans or animals,” the page currently states, adding that data does not demonstrate that ivermectin is effective against COVID -19, despite some studies cited demonstrating that ivermectin is effective against the disease.

The FDA, in the settlement, also agrees to delete several social media posts that spoke strongly against ivermectin, including one that stated: “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Really, all of you. Stop".

In exchange for this change, doctors who sued the agency will recuse themselves from the lawsuits, the document said.

“The FDA loses its war on ivermectin and agrees to remove all social media posts and consumer guidance regarding ivermectin and COVID, including the most popular tweet in FDA history,” said Dr. Mary Talley Bowden, one of the doctors, in a statement. “This landmark case sets an important precedent for limiting FDA interference in the doctor-patient relationship.”

“We are extremely pleased with the outcome of the settlement, as it is a win for all doctors and patients in the United States,” added Dr. Paul Marik, chief scientific officer of the FLCCC Alliance and another plaintiff. “The FDA has interfered in the practice of medicine with its irresponsible language and posts about ivermectin. We will never know how many lives were affected because patients were denied access to life-saving treatment because their doctor was 'just following the FDA.'”

An FDA spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email that the agency “chose to settle this lawsuit rather than continue to litigate claims dating back between two and nearly four years.”

“The FDA has not admitted any violation of the law or any wrongdoing, disagrees with plaintiffs' assertion that the agency exceeded its authority in making the statements challenged in the lawsuit, and supports its authority to communicate with the public about the products it regulates ,” the spokesperson said. “ The FDA has not changed its position that currently available clinical trial data does not demonstrate that ivermectin is effective against COVID-19. The agency has not cleared or approved ivermectin. The agency has not authorized or approved the use of ivermectin for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 .”

So the federal body does not admit that it was wrong, but, at the same time, decides not to continue with the case and removes its invitations from the website and social networks. The question is simple: if Ivermectin is truly a health threat, wouldn't it have been more correct and consistent with the agency's mandate to continue the legal case and maintain the calls for non-use?

Ivermectin was approved by the FDA in 1996 to treat several conditions, including onchocerciasis, a tropical disease caused by a parasitic worm.

In the United States, it is common for doctors to prescribe drugs off-label, that is, for a purpose other than what the drug was approved for.

After some doctors began prescribing ivermectin for COVID-19, the FDA stepped up its campaign, including the Aug. 21, 2021, post on Twitter, now known as X.

Dr. Bowden and two other doctors had sued the FDA, claiming that the agency's actions went beyond its authority, given to it by Congress.

U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown dismissed the case in 2022, ruling that the FDA did not act outside its authority. But an appeals court in 2023 ruled in favor of the doctors, finding that the agency “has not identified any authority that allows it to recommend that consumers 'stop' taking drugs.”

Between the ruling and the settlement, the FDA refused to change its statements about ivermectin and asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed.


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The article The FDA forced to remove pages and posts on social media against the use of ivermectin to treat Covid comes from Economic Scenarios .


This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/la-fda-costretta-a-togliere-pagine-e-post-sui-social-media-contro-luso-dellivermectina-per-il-trattamento-del-covid/ on Sun, 24 Mar 2024 12:57:52 +0000.