SYNOPSIS
Ivermectin is an inhibitor of the COVID-19 causative virus (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro. A single treatment able to effect ~5000-fold reduction in virus at 48 h in cell culture.
TITLE
The FDA-approved drug ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro
CITATION
Leon Caly, Julian D. Druce, Mike G. Catton, David A. Jans, Kylie M. Wagstaff. (2020). The FDA-approved drug ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro, Antiviral Research, Volume 178, 104787.ISSN 0166-3542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104787.
SUMMARY
Abstract: 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.