MANILA - A lawmaker on Tuesday appealed to her colleagues in the lower house of Congress to stop encouraging the use of anti-parasite drug Ivermectin against COVID-19 due to lack of evidence for it as a treatment.

Speaking to ANC, Quezon 4th District Rep. Angeline "Helen" Tan said using such drug without clinical data demonstrating its benefits was dangerous.

"If they're using it, they can use it at their own risk. But encouraging people to use it without any basis is again, I want to reiterate, I find it very dangerous," she said.

Ivermectin products are currently approved in the country to treat some worm infestations and for veterinary use in animals for parasites.

Tan, who leads the House committee on health, stressed that the use of Ivermectin against COVID-19 should be based on medical evidence.

"I'm so sad on what's happening right now that many are using Ivermectin, even without the clear benefit... Medicine is evidence-based. It's not based on testimony or opinion," she said.

The lawmaker, also a medical doctor, urged the public to halt the use of such drug until experts recommend it as safe.

"I know we are desperate for solutions of COVID-19 but we shouldn’t be shortsighted on what’s happening right now," she said.

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor said Monday said he was distributing Ivermectin to COVID-19 patients and the elderly in Quezon City despite warning from Food and Drug Administration against the drug.

• Defensor giving away veterinary drug Ivermectin vs COVID-19 despite FDA warnings

In a statement issued to the press, 1-PACMAN party-list Rep. Enrico Pineda said Ivermectin was found to reduce the effects of COVID-19 on infected patients when used with vitamins and supplements, citing clinical trials conducted in many countries.

The World Health Organization has warned against the use of Ivermectin as it was not yet proven effective against COVID-19.

WHO Country Representative Rabindra Abeyasinghe pointed out that many COVID-19 patients recover from the illness even without a treatment since they have good immune systems.

The Department of Health also said a systematic review of 6 randomized controlled trials showed that Ivermectin did not significantly reduce the risk of mortality and duration of hospitalization among COVID-19 cases. It is also “not associated with a definite benefit of other clinically important outcomes.”

• WHO: ‘Strong clinical trials’ needed to prove if Ivermectin effective against COVID-19