Warning out on gout drug vs COVID-19

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) warned the public yesterday against taking the anti-inflammatory drug Colchicine to treat the coronavirus disease 2019 as no “sufficient evidence” supports it as such.

Speaking at a press briefing, DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that while Colchicine is used around the world for various indications such as gout, there is not enough evidence on its efficacy in treating COVID-19 patients.

“We have to wait for sufficient evidence so we can be able to use that,” she said. “We must also secure clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this.”

Last Wednesday, it was reported that a team of researchers from the Montreal Heart Institute in Canada had found that Colchicine can reduce complications related to COVID-19.

Their study claimed that Colchicine – a tablet used for various diseases like gout – can reduce by 21 percent the risk of death and complications in patients with COVID-19.

However, Vergeire asked the public to await guidelines from the DOH if Colchicine can be used as an “off-label” drug for COVID-19 because there remains no application with the FDA for its clinical trial for the disease.

“This will be an ‘off-label’ drug if ever. This means that it can be used for another purpose... But we will still need a thorough study before we can release information if we can use it or not,” she said.

In the event Colchicine will be approved for use against COVID-19, there will be restrictions on its use.

“If ever it will be used, it cannot be bought over the counter or taken at home. It will require supervision of doctors and, maybe, it can be taken only in hospitals,” she said.

‘Anti-pneumonia vaccine helpful’

Meanwhile, a noted epidemiologist underscored the benefit of receiving an anti-pneumonia vaccine as protection against serious complications that may arise in the event that one gets infected with COVID-19.

Speaking at the press briefing room in Malacañang, Dr. Charles Yu, vice-chancellor of the De La Salle Medical and Health Services Institute, said the vaccination for pneumonia may help in reducing mortality and morbidity rates, particularly among the elderly and those with existing illnesses.

“The anti-pneumonia (vaccine), especially the invasive pneumococcal, the lifetime, that protects deadly pneumonia will help because most of the other COVID patients die, not because of the virus but due to the complicating bacterial pneumonia,” said Yu.

However, the former president of the Philippine College of Physicians and the Philippine College of Chest Physicians said there is no assurance to that effect since each patient experiences various symptoms once they catch COVID-19.

Yu noted that there are some who want to get inoculated with the anti-pneumonia vaccine so that it can help boost their immune system.

“That is partly true. But if you get vaccinated for pneumonia, it does not mean that you can avoid being infected by COVID-19,” he said at the briefing led by presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr.

Yu also made a pitch for COVID-19 vaccines to those hesitant to take the jab, saying: “That personal right to not to get a vaccine is trumped by the greater good because more are protected when many get inoculated.”

“So, if you are hesitant, just think that this is not for your sake, but for the sake of the people you love… so that we can start going back to living our lives in a normal situation… we can still see our lolos and lolas, our relatives and loved ones,” he added.

The government announced that the first batch of vaccines from Pfizer is arriving next month. – Christina Mendez