Spanish Pilot Study Reveals Ivermectin Can Possibly Reduce Viral Transmission
Ivermectin Status in the War against COVID-19 Ivermectin
is an antiparasitic drug that has been shown to reduce SARS-CoV-2 replication in vitro (in cell lines), albeit at concentrations that exceed those recommended for human use.
This, together with preliminary results from a trial in humans which used data of dubious origin and was never peer-reviewed,
prompted the use of ivermectin in many Latin-American countries despite the lack of reliable evidence on its efficacy in treating or preventing infection.
However, this isn’t the only view of the drug as, for examplem the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC)
has produced a meta-analysis of the dozens of ivermectin-based studies already completed.
A research in the UK,
Dr. Andrew Hill, also
maintains his own meta-analysis showcasing the potential of the drug.
TrialSite has been consistently a leading media platform chronicling these studies.
The Spanish Pilot Study
The research team
gave one single dose of ivermectin or placebo to 24 patients with confirmed infection and mild symptoms, within the first 72 hours after the first symptoms started.
Nasal swabs and blood samples were taken at the moment of enrolment and 1, 2 and/or 3 weeks after treatment.
Seven days after treatments, no difference was observed in the percentage of PCR-positive patients (100% of patients were positive in both groups).
However, the mean viral load in the ivermectin-treated group
was lower (around 3x lower at 4 days and up to 18x lower at 7 days post-treatment), although the difference was not statistically significant.
Treated patients
also showed a reduced duration of certain symptoms (of 50% for loss of smell and taste and of 30% for cough).
All patients developed virus-specific IgG but, again,
the mean level of antibodies in the treated group was lower than in the placebo group. “This could be the result of a lower viral load in these patients,” explains Chaccour.
About ISGlobal
The Barcelona Institute for Global Health, ISGlobal, is the fruit of an innovative alliance between the “la Caixa” Foundation and academic and government institutions to contribute to the efforts undertaken by the international community to address the challenges in global health.
A clinical trial provides encouraging results on ivermectin for reducing mild COVID-19
A small pilot study
suggests that early administration of ivermectin can reduce viral loads and symptom duration in patients with mild COVID-19, which in turn could help reduce viral transmission.
The study, which is part of the SAINT project and has been led by the University of Navarra Clinic and the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by the “la Caixa” Foundation, warrants further exploration in larger clinical trials.
The findings of the pilot study
have been published in EClinicalMedicine, a clinical journal published by The Lancet.
EurekAlert! Science News
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-01/bifg-act011421.php