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Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute � Ivermectin

Ivermectin belongs to a class of drugs known as anthelmintics. It is used to treat many types of parasitic diseases in humans, pets, and livestock caused by worms, lice and small mites. Ivermectin was recently shown to have antiviral and anticancer properties [1].

A recent study by the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute in Australia has shown that ivermectin can significantly reduce SARS-CoV-2 viral load in cell culture. Ivermectin is thus considered a candidate drug that can be repurposed for the treatment of COVID-19 [2]. Clinical trials are needed to establish its efficacy and safety for this new use.

References

  1. Crump, A. (2017). Ivermectin: enigmatic multifaceted ‘wonder’drug continues to surprise and exceed expectations. The Journal of antibiotics, 70(5), 495-505.
  2. The FDA-approved Drug Ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro