TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Gov. Ron DeSantis said he’s pushing Florida’s Legislature to pass a bill involving ivermectin, and he plans to sign it.
The governor’s social media post was in response to another post asking whether the drug, which is prescribed to people to help battle worm infections, will be widely available in the state.
Republican state Rep. Jeff Holcomb withdrew his bill this week calling on the tablets to be available over the counter.
Sticker shock begins as Affordable Care Act meets shutdown deadlock
His office stated the language will be included in another bill, and he will speak about his efforts after a new bill is filed.
Ivermectin first gained wide notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the FDA has still not authorized or approved the drug to treat or prevent COVID-19. Following the pandemic, doctors have been getting questions on whether the tablets could help cancer patients after a guest on a podcast claimed they help.
Dr. Binay Shah is an oncologist who has recently found that more than 90% of doctors he surveyed have had patients asking about ivermectin as treatment for cancer.
“On ivermectin and cancer, no publication suggests that ivermectin is effective in improving survival in patients,” Shah said.
https://www.newsnationnow.com/health/vegan-diet-pros-cons-nutrition/
In that survey, 22 doctors didn’t recommend its use for cancer, and eight others stated there’s not enough evidence to make a recommendation.
While in Tampa last month, Florida’s first lady, Casey DeSantis, said the state is open to helping fund more research.
“We should look at it. We should look at the benefits of it. We should not just speculate and guess. We should, as the state of Florida, with over a billion dollars in funding since Ron DeSantis took office for cancer, we should be looking into things in generic form,” she said.
The funding will come from the $60 million available in the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund.
