An Auburn man’s family lost a bid in Sangamon County Court yesterday to administer an unapproved treatment for COVID-19.
The State Journal Register reports that the family of 61 year old Randy Clouse of Auburn lost her bid to force Memorial to allow her husband to receive ivermectin. The Clouse Family Attorney, Ralph Lorigo of West Seneca, New York argued in front of Sangamon Judge Adam Giganti that the family should have the right to try to save Clouse through the treatment. Springfield lawyer William Davis of Brown, Hay & Stephens, representing Memorial, said the drug as a COVID-19 treatment is unproven and potentially unsafe.
Davis also criticized the Chicago internist Dr. Alan Bain for prescribing the drug to Clouse, saying the doctor failed to perform adequate review of Clouse’s medical history and chose to ignore widespread medical advice about the use of the drug against COVID-19. Davis at one point argued that Clouse was being used a guinea pig, according to the SJ-R. In a written response to the suit on Friday, Memorial officials said Clouse’s medical condition is “presently improving,” and he no longer has an active COVID-19 infection but is currently fighting with a cyst in his liver. Giganti denied Lorigo’s request for a court delay for a day or two so Bain could review medical records of the cyst.
Giganti denied the family’s request for an injunction. It is unclear if the Clouse Family will appeal the ruling to the Illinois Appellate Court.
Ivermectin isn’t approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Association for use in COVID-19 patients. However, interest in the drug has grown since the resurgence of COVID-19 through the Delta variant. Families across the country have convinced several doctors to prescribe the treatment despite recommendations against using it from the CDC and the WHO.
Ivermectin in a pill form is used to treat parasitic worms in humans and a topical solution is used to treat skin conditions. Initial research on the drug in 6 active clinical trials are underway. The National Health Institute, who is supervising the studies, says there is insufficient evidence to recommend either for or against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 concluding more significant study is needed.