Ivermectin does not relieve mild Covid-19 symptoms, study results

Ivermectin, a controversial antiparasitic drug touted as a possibility COVID-19 treatmentAccording to, it does not accelerate the recovery of people with mild cases of illness Randomized controlled trial It was published in the journal JAMA on Thursday.

Ivermectin is commonly used to treat both human and animal parasites, but the scientific evidence for its effectiveness against the coronavirus is weak. Some studies have shown that drugs can prevent several different viruses from replicating inside cells. And last year Australian researchers discovered The high dose of ivermectin suppressed SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in cell culture.

Such findings have spurred the use of drugs against Covid-19, Especially in Latin America..

“Ivermectin is now widely used,” said Dr. Eduardo Lopez Medina, MD, a physician and researcher at the Center for Pediatric Infectious Diseases in Cali, Colombia, who led the new trial. “In many countries in the Americas and other parts of the world, it is part of the national guidelines for treating Covid.”

However, the drug has also proven to be disruptive. Some scientists are aware of the potential, but others believe that very high, potentially dangerous doses may be required to effectively block the coronavirus. .. Health officials are also worried that people who are anxious for coronavirus treatment may take a version of the drug prescribed for their pets. (Commonly used to prevent heartworm in dogs.)

“There were many conflicting views on this, and sometimes extremely conflicting views,” said Dr. Carlos Chacourt, a researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health who was not involved in the new study. “I think it’s another hydroxychloroquine.”

However, neither supporters nor critics have much rigorous data to support their views. There are few well-controlled trials of drug efficacy against Covid-19, but more are expected in the coming months. And the treatment guidelines from the National Institutes of Health are There is not enough evidence “Recommend either for or against” the use of the drug in Covid-19 patients.

In a new study, Dr. López-Medina and his colleagues randomly assigned more than 400 people who recently developed mild Covid-19 symptoms to take a 5-day course of ivermectin or placebo. They found that Covid-19 symptoms lasted an average of about 10 days in those who received the drug compared to 12 days in those who received the placebo, with no statistically significant difference. Did.

Dr. Regina Rabinovich, a global health researcher at Harvard University’s TH Chan School of Public Health, added the coveted clinical data to the debate over the use of the drug in the treatment of Covid-19. He said.

But she said the trial was relatively small and did not answer the most pressing clinical question of whether ivermectin could prevent serious illness or death. “Symptom duration may not be the most important clinical or public health parameter,” she said.

Researchers found that seven patients in the placebo group worsened after enrollment in the study compared to four in the ivermectin group, but the number was too small to draw meaningful conclusions. I could not do it.

“There was a small signal there. It’s interesting to see if the signal we saw is genuine,” said Dr. Lopez Medina. “But that would have to be answered in a larger exam.”

Dr. López-Medina also noted that the study population was relatively young and healthy, with an average age of 37 years, and few underlying conditions that could make Covid-19 more dangerous. ..

Larger trials currently underway may provide a more definitive answer, Dr. Rabinovic said, and she said she was “fully neutral” about the potential usefulness of ivermectin. .. “There is such a mess in the field, so I just want the data.”