Herpes Drug Is Used As A Drug For COVID-19, Italian Government Warns Of Danger

JAKARTA - The Italian Drug Regulatory Agency AIFA on Friday, September 10, warned about the misuse of illegal antiviral drugs as a treatment for COVID-19 and called them a potential danger to public health.

Regulatory agency officials said the Health Ministry had warned them about the high demand for imports of Parvulan, an antiviral drug usually used for Herpes Zoster. The drug is not licensed in Italy, but is officially registered and marketed in Brazil.

AIFA added that requests from customers in Italy indicate that Parvulan is being proposed for use without approval for uses other than its original use as a preventive treatment for COVID-19, a substitute for the official vaccine.

"The use of the drug Parvulan in the prevention of the Sars-CoV-2 infectious disease is not supported by the slightest evidence, under its efficacy and safety profile," AIFA said in a statement.

The agency added their scientific committee hasn't even authorized it in clinical trials.

"Therefore, the possibility of using these drugs as a substitute for official vaccines has the potential to endanger human health," said AIFA.

The danger is not only because of the lack of safety in its use, but also because of the rationale for protection that is not justified for patients, given the lack of efficacy data, the regulator added in a statement.