The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – the country’s apex health research body – told the states to avoid indiscriminate use of the ‘investigational therapies’ for coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

ICMR and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences said “indiscriminate use or use in conditions for which they (investigational therapies) are not desirable may cause more harm than good”.

The remarks came at a virtual meeting held on Friday on Covid Case management. Use of the drugs has to be with “extreme caution”, the meeting discussed.

All these therapies are to be administered only in health care facilities where monitoring of patients is possible, so that potential complications can be managed, ICMR said at the meeting. It said for moderate and severe cases, adequate oxygen support, appropriate and timely administration of anti-coagulants and inexpensive corticosteroids, have to be followed.

It said the pursuit of an effective treatment for Covid-19 has resulted in repurposing of several drugs which are not part of the clinical management protocol.“These drugs have still not been approved by DCGI and are only permitted for restricted Emergency Use for COVID-19,” ICMR said.