A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has found that ivermectin, a drug once promoted as a COVID-19 treatment, does not significantly improve recovery time for individuals with mild to moderate cases of the disease. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, conducted across 93 sites in the U.S. between June 2021 and May 2022, included 1,591 participants during the Delta and Omicron variant waves.
The research team, led by scientists from Duke University School of Medicine, reported that participants treated with ivermectin recovered from COVID-19 in a median of 12 days, while those in the placebo group recovered in 13 days. This one-day difference was not statistically significant, leading the authors to conclude that ivermectin does not offer a clinically meaningful benefit for COVID-19 recovery.
Study Details and Findings
The trial enrolled adult outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either ivermectin tablets for three days or a placebo. The ivermectin dosage was adjusted based on the patient's weight. The primary outcome was the time to sustained recovery, defined as three consecutive days without symptoms. Secondary outcomes included hospitalization rates and mortality.
The study revealed that one person in the ivermectin group died, while no deaths occurred in the placebo group. Hospitalization rates were identical in both groups, with nine participants in each requiring hospital admission. These findings further underscore the lack of clinical benefit associated with ivermectin treatment for COVID-19.
Context and Implications
Ivermectin gained attention early in the pandemic, with some groups promoting it as an effective COVID-19 treatment despite limited evidence. The FDA has not authorized or approved ivermectin for treating or preventing COVID-19 and has repeatedly cautioned against its use for these purposes. This latest study adds to the growing body of evidence indicating that ivermectin is not effective against COVID-19.
"Among outpatients with mild to moderate COVID-19, treatment with ivermectin, compared with placebo, did not significantly improve time to recovery," the researchers stated in their JAMA publication. "These findings do not support the use of ivermectin in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19."
