Ivermectin is a topical medication commonly used to treat parasitic infections in both humans and animals. However, recent studies have shown that Ivermectin could show promise as a treatment against coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).
What was the study investigating?
A study, conducted at Monash University, Australia, demonstrated that Ivermectin stops coronavirus growth in cell cultures. So what are cell cultures exactly? Cell cultures are a group of cells that are grown in a controlled environment – usually a petri dish. Substances, such as Ivermectin, can be added to the cell cultures to see how the cells respond to them. In this study, the researchers infected their cell cultures with SARS-Cov-2 (the virus strand that causes COVID-19 coronavirus), then they treated the cell cultures with Ivermectin, to see how the cells responded.
What did the research show?
The research demonstrated that a single dose of Ivermectin stops the SARS-CoV-2 virus from replicating within 24-48 hours, which results in an approximately 5000-fold reduction in the detectable virus after 48 hours. These results are promising, but it could still take a while before Ivermectin becomes a treatment type for COVID-19.
Why isn’t Ivermectin being used to treat COVID-19?
The study shows promising results, but there is still a long way to go before the approval of Ivermectin. The research focussed on cell cultures which can mimic aspects of the human body. Yet, they are not an accurate representation of what would happen if Ivermectin is administered as a treatment. The human body is much more complicated than a cell culture, and in reality, it may be much harder to ensure that the Ivermectin reaches the virus found within the body. You can’t merely put the Ivermectin onto the infected cells; you have to take Ivermectin medicine as a pill or a topical cream instead.
Having said this, Ivermectin is a good candidate to become a new COVID-19 treatment for several reasons:
- As a drug, it is already approved by the FDA and other regulatory bodies
- It is on the WHOs list of essential medications, so it is easy to access
- Ivermectin has few side effects at the current approved dosages.
Doctors prefer to prescribe treatments with a strong evidence base because all medications do carry a risk of side effects. Side effects can sometimes be severe and may cause significant complications in the patient taking it. Ivermectin has few side effects, and they are mostly low-risk, so Ivermectin is a medication that doctors may be more willing to prescribe without a strong evidence base. However, a big challenge that remains is working out if Ivermectin will be effective against SARS-CoV-2 at the current approved dosages. If not, the dosage of Ivermectin will need to be amended significantly, which then could pose a higher risk to the patient.
It’s all a balancing act
Every medical intervention is a balancing act between the potential risks and benefits it has for the patient. Ivermectin and other proposed treatments for COVID-19 are no different. Without a strong evidence base for the use of Ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment, it is harder to understand what the risks and benefits could be accurately. Therefore, it is likely that doctors will act with caution to avoid harming the patient they are trying to treat.
