MANILA — The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that no intravenous glutathione product in the Philippines was approved for skin lightening.

FDA spokesperson Pamela Angeline Sevilla has issued the warning after a woman in a viral video could not open her right eye after an alleged infection after undergoing IV glutathione treatment.

Dermatologists warning: IV glutathione not approved by FDA

Sevilla, also a lawyer, told TeleRadyo Serbisyo that IV glutathione is only approved as an adjunct to chemotherapy. 

"Wala tayong aprubado na glutathione for skin lightening agent," she said.

An FDA advisory earlier warned there are no published clinical trials that have evaluated the use of injectable glutathione for skin lightening.

Side effects of the use of injectable glutathione for skin lightening include toxic effects on the liver, kidneys, and nervous system.

Also of concern is the possibility of Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. Injectable glutathione is sometimes paired with intravenous Vitamin C. Vitamin C injection may form kidney stones if the urine is acidic. Large doses of Vitamin C have resulted in hemodialysis in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.

Sevilla said the agency had confiscated millions of glutathione and skin whitening products due to lack of certification.