TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Arya Sinulingga, a special staff for State-Owned Enterprises (SOE) Minister Erick Thohir, clarified the minister’s statement regarding the drug called Ivermectin. He explained Erick had never said that Ivermectin had received the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency’s (BPOM) permit as a Covid-19 drug.

“He (Erick) says that BPOM has issued the distribution permit for Ivermectin as an antiparasitic drug,” said Arya in a statement on Tuesday, June 22.

Quoting Erick’s statement, Arya asserted that there has been no specific cure yet for Covid-19. Thus, methods used by doctors as Covid-19 treatment are still limited to therapy, including the use of Ivermectin.

“Its position is the same as Favipiravir, Azithromycin, Avigan, or other vitamins. Those are used in therapies, and the BPOM does not say that they are drugs to cure Covid-19,” Arya said.

He asked the public not to misinterpret or twist Erick’s statement. “So when someone says that Pak Erick declares Ivermectin as a coronavirus drug, it is clearly wrong.”

Ivermectin is currently produced by state-owned pharmaceutical firm PT Indofarma. The drug is said to be a therapeutic drug for Covid-19 patients. Erick also planned to boost the production of the drug which is sold at Rp5,000-7,000 per tablet.

Read: Govt Ensures Covid-19 Drugs Sufficient until Year's End

FRANCISCA CHRISTY ROSANA | BISNIS