Ivermectin Treats Coronavirus?

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Please Note: The RRDi does not endorse ivermectin for treating Covid 19. Since ivermectin has been used to treat rosacea, we are interested in any of the treatments for rosacea that are also being considered in treating Covid 19. Treating Covid 19 with ivermectin is controversial. The RRDi has simply collected a list of articles for your consideration. This thread continues to be updated so scroll through the entire thread to the latest post on this subject. Add your thought by finding the REPLY TO THIS TOPIC button. 

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There are multiple news reports that ivermectin, a common drug used to treat rosacea orally and topically, has been found effective in treating the coronavirus (scoll down for more reports). Virus and rosacea has never, ever been ruled out. Ivermectin is just one treatment for rosacea that is being investigated along with other rosacea treatments. 

"Taken together, the concerns associated with ivermectin's application in clinical settings may be adequately addressed to declare it as a safe anti-viral drug at a safe dosage." [1]

A collaborative study led by the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and the Doherty Institute found the drug Ivermectin stops coronavirus growing in cell culture." 

Warning issued as researchers reveal another potential treatment for coronavirus, ABC News Australia

"Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia have discovered that the antiparasitic drug Ivermectin can inhibit replication of SARS-CoV-2, the virus the causes COVID-19, according to a study published Friday in the journal Antiviral Research....Ivermectin has been widely used since the 1980s to treat head lice, scabies and several other infections caused by parasites. The drug is also used to treat the skin condition rosacea." [bold added]

"Researchers from Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) at Monash University in Australia have found that an anti-parasitic drug called Ivermectin could kill the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, within 48 hours in a laboratory setting." 
Study finds anti-parasitic drug could kill coronavirus in 48 hours,  Pharmceutical Technology

ANTI-PARASITE DRUG USED SINCE 1980S MAY HELP STOP CORONAVIRUS, NEW STUDY SAYS
BY AILA SLISCO ON 4/3/20 AT 10:46 PM EDT,  3 April 2020, Newsweek 

The report by Caly et al is published in Antiviral Research, funded by a National Breast Cancer Foundation Fellowship, is cited below:

Antiviral Research
Available online 3 April 2020
The FDA-approved Drug Ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro
Leon Caly, Julian D.Druce, Mike G.Catton, David A.Jans, Kylie M.Wagstaff

Science Daily • Drugs.com • Nature World News • EurekaAlert! • Futureism/Neoscope • Pharmaceutical Technology • SciTechDaily • PHARMAfield • The US Sun • Archyde • Metro News • MoneyControl • The Tecake • Coronavirus and Rosacea

End Notes

[1] J Mol Struct. 2021 Jun 12 : 130808.
COVID-19 and Ivermectin: Potential threats associated with human use
Tean Zaheer, Kaushik Pal, Rao Zahid Abbas,  María del Pilar Rodríguez Torres

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"It’s still not clear exactly how Ivermectin works. But it appears to stop the processes that allow proteins to move within the virus. These proteins would normally dampen the body’s antiviral response, allowing the virus to replicate and enhance the infection."

Head lice drug Ivermectin is being tested as a possible coronavirus treatment, but that’s no reason to buy it, April 6, 2020, Andrew McLachlan, The Conversation
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"Wagstaff cautions that these are very early test results and much more will need to be done, including clinical trials and human testing and will be necessary before any action can be taken. But, he says, it’s a sign of hope."

Researchers discover anti-parasite drug kills coronavirus in lab, Chris Patrick, Sunday, April 5, 2020, Trib
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"The team worked with the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity. They showed that Ivermectin reduced COVID-19 viral RNA present in cell culture by as much as 93 percent after 24 hours and by 99.8 percent after 48 hours, at around a 5,000-fold reduction in coronavirus RNA, hinting that the medicine can potentially eradicate the virus."

Antiparasitic drug Ivermectin kills coronavirus in 48 hours, Angela Betsaida B. Laguipo, BSN, Apr 6 2020, News Medical

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In a related news item, Plaquenil (Hydroxychloroquine), another anti-parasitic drug, has been purported to treat coronavirus. Read the third post in this thread. 

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"These findings demonstrate the broad‐spectrum antiviral property of ivermectin benefiting for COVID‐19 treatment in the context of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine in virus‐related diseases."

J Cell Physiol. 2020 Sep 22 : 10.1002/jcp.30055. doi: 10.1002/jcp.30055 [Epub ahead of print]
Quantitative proteomics reveals a broad‐spectrum antiviral property of ivermectin, benefiting for COVID‐19 treatment
Na Li, Lingfeng Zhao,  Xianquan Zhan

"Close to 70 clinical trials are currently in progress worldwide for SARS-CoV-2. Although few of these studies have been completed, the results that are available, as well as those from observational/retrospective studies, indicate clinical benefit. Here we discuss the case for ivermectin as a host-directed broad-spectrum antiviral agent, including for SARS-CoV-2."

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2020 Oct 21 doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.10.042 
The broad spectrum host-directed agent ivermectin as an antiviral for SARS-CoV-2?
David A. Jansa, Kylie M. Wagstaffb

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"One of the recent in vitro studies conducted by Clay et al. (2020) confirmed the antiviral activity of ivermectin against SARS-CoV-2. The SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero/hSLAM cells were subjected to 5 µM ivermectin for 48 h. The study indicates about 5,000-fold decrease in viral RNA as compared to the control. This was the first study to assess and demonstrate the effectiveness of ivermectin in COVID-19."

Front Pharmacol. 2020; 11: 582025.
Available Compounds With Therapeutic Potential Against COVID-19: Antimicrobial Therapies, Supportive Care, and Probable Vaccines
Rajnish Kumar, Janmejai Kumar Srivastava,  Rachana Singh,  Mohammed Haris Siddiqui,  Rasha A. Mansouri,  Jawaher A. Abdulhakim,  May N. Bin-Jumah,  Saad Alkahtani,  Mohamed M. Abdel-Daim,  Md. Sahab Uddin

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'Two videos shared hundreds of times on Facebook feature a Kenyan doctor alleging that two drugs -- ivermectin on its own and hydroxychloroquine in combination with zinc and azithromycin -- are effective in treating Covid-19. But the claims are false: there is no scientific evidence that either medication can help treat the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. "

Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine are not proven Covid-19 treatments, James Okong'o, AFP South Africa, AFP FactCheck 

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"Although ivermectin has been shown to inhibit the replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‐CoV)‐2 at supratherapeutic doses in vitro, no benefit has been seen in real‐world treatment of COVID‐19." 

Clin Exp Dermatol. 2021 Jun 26 : 10.1111/ced.14704.
Ivermectin in dermatology: why it ‘mite’ be useless against COVID‐19
D. Roche,  C. O’Connor, M. Murphy

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The literature available so far provides low-quality evidence of a modest effect of IVM in improving clinical outcomes in COVID-19, with some data on prophylactic use.

Pertinently we feel that the purists would wait for the ideal trial that would have to factor in the initial period of infection, severity, clinical parameters, and possibly a higher dose, but the emergent desire for administering a cheap drug supplants the rigors of such parameters. The drug has already found its way in many regional, state, and International protocols of clinical care though more evidence would be welcome to establish its role and as evidenced by the data in Table 3, a growing evidence of its use is being published and we feel it is one of the few drugs that has transcended in-vitro data to clinical applicability.

IVM is a drug that is safe, cheap, and widely available with multimodal action. The wide applicability with mass prophylaxis campaigns in various tropical disorders certifies its safety. The dermatological indications extend beyond scabies and pediculosis. The repurposing of this drug for COVID-19 is based on firm in-vitro data and therapeutic data suggests that it is a useful drug in the early virus replicative phase of the disease. It can be given at higher doses based on the available data which may achieve the ideal serum levels for an antiviral action. While it has established a firm place in the management of several nematodal and ectoparasitic infections, the anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-viral/bacterial role of IVM make it a versatile drug, the full potential of it will evolve over the years.

Current Use of Ivermectin in Dermatology, Tropical Medicine, and COVID-19: An Update on Pharmacology, Uses, Proven and Varied Proposed Mechanistic Action

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The controversy of using ivermectin for Covid 19 continues. For example, watch this TV station news report on this.

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NEWS • 02 August 2021 • Nature

Flawed ivermectin preprint highlights challenges of COVID drug studies

The study’s withdrawal from a preprint platform deals a blow to the anti-parasite drug’s chances as a COVID treatment, researchers say.

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Rand Paul has a *very* wacky theory about ivermectin

Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large, Updated 8:46 PM ET, Tue August 31, 2021

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The FDA has tweeted this: 

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"Ivermectin is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as an oral treatment for intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis and as a topical treatment for pediculosis and rosacea. It is also used as a treatment for parasites in pets and livestock. Ivermectin may decrease severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication in vitro, but randomized, controlled trials have shown no clinical benefit in the prevention or treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Veterinary use of ivermectin has increased, and the number of prescriptions for use by humans in the United States is 24 times as high as the number before the pandemic. Moreover, the number of such prescriptions in August 2021 was 4 times as high as the number in July 2021....These cases illustrate the potential toxic effects of ivermectin, including severe episodes of confusion, ataxia, seizures, and hypotension, and the increasing frequency of inappropriate use. There is insufficient evidence to support the use of ivermectin to treat or prevent Covid-19, and improper use, as well as the possible occurrence of medication interactions, may result in serious side effects requiring hospitalization."

N Engl J Med. 2021 Oct 20 : NEJMc2114907.
Toxic Effects from Ivermectin Use Associated with Prevention and Treatment of Covid-19
Courtney Temple, M.D., Ruby Hoang, D.O., and Robert G. Hendrickson, M.D.

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Ivermectin worthless against COVID in largest clinical trial to date

Arstechnica