The FDA-approved drug ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.
Open accessAbstract
Although several clinical trials are now underway to test possible therapies, the worldwide response to the COVID-19 outbreak has been largely limited to monitoring/containment. We report here that Ivermectin, an FDA-approved anti-parasitic previously shown to have broad-spectrum anti-viral activity in vitro, is an inhibitor of the causative virus (SARS-CoV-2), with a single addition to Vero-hSLAM cells 2 h post infection with SARS-CoV-2 able to effect ~5000-fold reduction in viral RNA at 48 h. Ivermectin therefore warrants further investigation for possible benefits in humans.
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Ivermectin was shown to have antiviral effects against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro.
“In June 2020, ivermectin, a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved antiparasitic drug, was shown to have antiviral effects against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro [1].”
From Ivermectin for COVID-19: Addressing Potential Bias and Medical Fraud (2022) · cites this paper as [1]
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- Authors
- Caly, L., Druce, J. D., Catton, M. G., Jans, D. A., & Wagstaff, K. M.
- Affiliations
- The Royal Melbourne Hospital (AU)
- Monash University (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Wagstaff, Kylie M.
- Venue
- Antiviral Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-06
- Volume
- 178
- Pages
- 104787
- ISSN
- 0166-3542 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7129059
- OpenAlex
- W3014962324
- Cited by
- 2,179
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 31 · 2025: 61 · 2024: 101 · 2023: 183 · 2022: 392 · 2021: 692 · 2020: 715 · 2019: 1 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 65.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Antiviral Research (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Monash University Research Portal (Monash University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- National Health and Medical Research Council
- National Breast Cancer Foundation
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- Keywords
- ivermectin, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 pandemic, antiviral activity, viral replication inhibition, antiparasitic drugs, antiviral drug repurposing
- MeSH terms
- Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Animals, Antiviral Agents, Australia, Chlorocebus aethiops, Humans, Ivermectin, Pneumonia, Viral, Vero Cells, Virus Replication, Drug Approval, Coronavirus Infections, Pandemics
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