In the Journals: High-dose Ivermectin Does Not Improve Recovery from COVID-19

In 2020 when we did not have vaccines, monoclonal antibodies or anti-viral drugs, many were looking for something that was readily available to treat COVID-19. One drug that received a lot of attention was ivermectin, an anti-parasitic agent used primarily in large animals. Some who took the drug were convinced that it worked.

Several studies, however, showed that people suffering from COVID-19 didn’t benefit from ivermectin. Some refused to believe it, arguing that the studies weren’t performed using a dose that was high enough. In response to this skepticism, researchers who are part of an NIH group called ACTIV (Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines) recently published a study looking at the efficacy of high-dose ivermectin in treating COVID-19 (Naggie S, Boulware DR, Lindsell CJ, et al. “Effect of Higher-Dose Ivermectin for 6 Days vs Placebo on Time to Sustained Recovery in Outpatients with COVID-19,” JAMA 2023 Mar 21;329(11):888-897).

ACTIV investigators randomized 1,206 patients older than 30 years with mild to moderate confirmed COVID-19 to receive either 600 ug/kg of ivermectin daily for six days or placebo. Previous studies had tested 400 ug/kg per day. Researchers found that high dose ivermectin did not improve the time to sustained recovery.