Ivermectin is an antiparasitic agent, typically used to treat head lice, parasitic worms, or some skin problems (e.g., rosacea). In 2020, a study found that ivermectin could inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 replication in cell cultures in the lab [1]. Many trials and reviews followed, arguing in favor of the use of ivermectin [2]. These studies motivated people to start buying ivermectin for COVID-19, even though it was not officially approved. In some cases, the extreme demand for ivermectin exhausted the stocks in many veterinaries [3].
The Truth
Although some studies found benefits when using ivermectin, the quality of the evidence was very low [4]. In fact, Lawrence et al. [5] remarked several flaws in studies about ivermectin, and one of these publications was subsequently withdrawn. One of the main concerns is that the concentration of ivermectin needed to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 is incredibly high [4] – multiple times the highest dose approved by the FDA. At large doses, ivermectin may induce nausea, allergic reactions, seizures, or even death [6]. Therefore, according to the Pan American Health Organization (2020) and the FDA (2021), there is not enough evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of ivermectin for COVID-19. Thus, it is not an approved COVID-19 treatment. Indeed, ivermectin should only be used for the purposes for which it had originally been approved: an antiparasitic agent [6, 7].
It should be noted that the veterinary ivermectin intended for animal use is not meant for humans. The doses used for animals (e.g., cows and horses) are much higher and could lead to toxicity in humans. In addition, the veterinary ivermectin can be accompanied by other ingredients. The problem is that these inactive ingredients in animal drugs have not been evaluated in humans so there is a risk for undesired effects [6].
Overall, there has been a lot of interest in potential treatments for COVID-19. Currently, ivermectin is not FDA-approved for the treatment of COVID-19. However, there are other treatments that have been FDA-approved, such as: bamlanivimab, casirivimab, imdevimab, tocilizumab, remdesivir, and paxlovid [8]. Stay tuned for the text where we will delve into these other treatments! And, remember, vaccination has been the most helpful approach to prevent the spread and severity of COVID-19!
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Written by: Nicole
Edited by: María and Natasha
BioDecoded is a volunteer group committed to sharing accurate scientific information. For more information about vaccines and their safety profile, please see previous posts or consult with your personal physician. If you have any questions about this topic, please comment or send them to our email.
References:
Caly, L. et al. (2020) “The FDA-approved drug ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro”, Antiviral Research, 178, p. 104787. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32251768/
Bryant, A. et al. (2021) “Ivermectin for Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 Infection”, American Journal of Therapeutics, Publish Ahead of Print. Available at: https://journals.lww.com/americantherapeutics/fulltext/2021/08000/ivermectin_for_prevention_and_treatment_of.7.aspx\
How Covid Misinformation Created a Run on Animal Medicine. New York Times (2021). Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/technology/ivermectin-animal-medicine-shortage.html (Accessed: 21 December 2021).
Garegnani, L., Madrid, E. and Meza, N. (2021) “Misleading clinical evidence and systematic reviews on ivermectin for COVID-19”, BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. Available at: https://ebm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/05/26/bmjebm-2021-111678
Lawrence, J. et al. (2021) “The lesson of ivermectin: meta-analyses based on summary data alone are inherently unreliable”, Nature Medicine, 27(11), pp. 1853-1854. Available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-021-01535-y
Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19. FDA (2021). Available at: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19 (Accessed: 21 December 2021).
Recommendation regarding the use of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19. PAHO (2020). Available at: PAHO-Ivermectin-treatment-covid-19-june-22.pdf (mectizan.org) (Accessed: 21 December 2021).
Treatments for COVID-19. Harvard Health Publishing (2021). Available at: https://whttps://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/treatments-for-covid-19ww.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/treatments-for-covid-19 Accessed: 21 December 2021).
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