Ivermectin as a Potential Addition to the Limited Anti-COVID-19 Arsenal: A Double-Blinded Clinical Trial

Varnaseri, Mehran; Amini, Fatemeh; Jamshididan, Ramin; Dargahi, Mehrdad; Gheibi, Nematollah; Abolghasemi, Sara; Dayer, Mohammadreza; Varnasseri, Negar; Hoseinynejad*, Khojasteh; Kheradhoosh, Sahar; Nazari**, Pedram; Babadi, Ebrahim; Mousavinezhad, Seyedeh Maryam; Ebrahimi, Pouya

doi:https://doi.org/10.5812/jjhs-146703

Ivermectin as a Potential Addition to the Limited Anti-COVID-19 Arsenal: A Double-Blinded Clinical Trial

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Mehran Varnaseri ¹

Fatemeh Amini ²

Ramin Jamshididan ¹

Mehrdad Dargahi ³

Nematollah Gheibi ³

Sara Abolghasemi ³

Mohammadreza Dayer ⁴

Negar Varnasseri ³

Khojasteh Hoseinynejad* ⁵

Sahar Kheradhoosh ³

Pedram Nazari** ⁶

Ebrahim Babadi ⁷

Seyedeh Maryam Mousavinezhad ⁶

Pouya Ebrahimi ⁸

¹ Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

² Department of Persian Medicine and Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

³ Department of Pulmonology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

⁴ Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

⁵ Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Persian Gulf Physiology Research Centre, Medical Basic Sciences Research Institute, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

⁶ Cancer Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

⁷ Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Modern Technologies, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran

⁸ Tehran Heart Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.5812/jjhs-146703

Abstract

Background:
Addressing the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains a significant challenge for healthcare systems globally. Despite the absence of a proven cure, ivermectin has been proposed as a potentially effective agent against it.
Objectives:
This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of ivermectin compared to a placebo group in non-critically ill confirmed COVID-19 patients.
Methods:
A double-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted on 110 patients with moderate-to-severe (non-critical) confirmed COVID-19 infection. The patients were equally divided into two groups, with one group receiving ivermectin tablets (14 mg every 12 hours for three days) and the other group receiving a placebo. The efficacy and safety of ivermectin were assessed in both groups.
Results:
A total of 110 patients, including 62 (56.4%) men and 48 (43.6%) women, with an average age of 53.36 ± 15.10 years, were enrolled in our double-blind, randomized clinical trial. The baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar. The findings demonstrated that ivermectin significantly reduced the need for Intensive Care Unit admission (32.7% vs. 5.5%; P < 0.001), hospitalization duration (six vs. four days; P < 0.001), and median time to symptom resolution period (P < 0.05) in COVID-19 patients compared to the placebo group, without any serious side effects (P > 0.05).
Conclusions:
Ivermectin appears to be a potentially effective and safe medication for COVID-19 patients with moderate disease.
Keywords:COVID-19/Ivermectin/Treatment Efficacy/Drug Safety

Keywords

COVID

19/Ivermectin/Treatment Efficacy/Drug Safety