Ivermectin ‘makes no clinical difference’ in COVID-19: major trial
Early intervention with the much-touted drug fails to keep high-risk patients out of hospital or shorten recovery times, researchers say
High-dose ivermectin treatment of symptomatic patients early in their COVID-19 illness doesn’t reduce the risk of hospital admission, according to one of the largest randomised trials of the antiparasitic to date.
The international TOGETHER trial found no clinical advantage in using the drug.
Investigators enrolled 3500 adults with COVID-19, recruited from public health clinics in Brazil, to test the benefit of early prescription of ivermectin at a dose of 400μg/kg daily for three days and other interventions versus placebo.
The double-blinded trial involved participants (median age 49) who had up to seven days of symptoms and at least one risk factor for severe disease, such as older age, obesity or chronic disease.
