The FDA-approved drug ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

2020/04/03 by Leon Caly, Julian Druce, Mike Catton +2 · 1 voice · 8 citations
Medicine · Immunology and Microbiology · #Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment #Parasites and Host Interactions #Mosquito-borne diseases and control

paper · doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104787

openalex publication_date 2020/04/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

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.

Citations

• Detection of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by real-time RT-PCR
• Remdesivir and chloroquine effectively inhibit the recently emerged novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in vitro
• Anti-HCV, nucleotide inhibitors, repurposing against COVID-19

Cited by

• Desperate Times and Good Science: Lessons From Randomized, Embedded, Multifactorial Adaptive Platform Trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia (REMAP-CAP)
• Membrane Perturbationsand Assay Interferences byIvermectin Explain Its In Vitro SARS-CoV-2 Antiviral Activitiesand Lack of Translatability
• In vitro antiviral effects of GS-441524 and itraconazole combination against feline infectious peritonitis virus
• In Vitro Evaluation of the Antiviral Activity of Methylene Blue Alone or in Combination against SARS-CoV-2
• Crucial Inflammatory Mediators and Efficacy of Drug Interventions in Pneumonia Inflated COVID-19: An Invivo Mathematical Modelling Study
• Avermectin Derivatives, Pharmacokinetics, Therapeutic and Toxic Dosages, Mechanism of Action, and Their Biological Effects
• In silico Prediction of Mozenavir as potential drug for SARS-CoV-2 infection via Binding Multiple Drug Targets
• Ivermectin for preventing and treating COVID-19

Discussions

• Corona virus research from Monash university [hn, 2 points, 0 comments]

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• Membrane Perturbationsand Assay Interferences byIvermectin Explain Its In Vitro SARS-CoV-2 Antiviral Activitiesand Lack of Translatability
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