NORFOLK, Va. — A Norfolk critical care doctor who sought to use ivermectin and other medications to treat COVID-19 resigned from his position at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS).
Back in November, Dr. Paul Marik, an EVMS physician under contract at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, filed a lawsuit against the healthcare system, seeking to end its ban on the use of certain medications to treat COVID-19, including ivermectin.
The antiparasitic drug is approved for a few uses in humans but hasn't been approved as an effective or safe treatment against COVID-19 by the CDC.
A Norfolk Circuit Judge subsequently denied Dr. Marik's motion for a temporary injunction, which would've allowed him to be able to use those alternative drugs.
At EVMS, Dr. Marik was Professor of Medicine and Chief of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. In a statement, the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) said Dr. Marik resigned to dedicate more time to multiple causes with the organization.
“This was not an easy decision to make, but I felt it was time to focus my attention and energy to other interests in both academia and public health,” Dr. Marik said in a statement. “I am looking forward to this next chapter in my career and continuing to make a difference in the world of medicine.”
FLCCC, which was co-founded by Dr. Marik, regards ivermectin as "a core medication in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19," according to the organization's website.