The study is titled "Efficacy of Ivermectin Treatment on Disease Progression Among Adults With Mild to Moderate COVID-19 and Comorbidities" and has been published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
Malaysian researchers conducted a randomized clinical trial to assess the efficacy of ivermectin treatment across twenty public hospitals and a COVID-19 quarantine center in Malaysia between May 31st and October 25th, 2021. Of 241 patients that received ivermectin, 52 developed severe COVID-19, compared to 43 developing severe COVID-19 out of 249 patients that did not receive ivermectin.
"In this randomized clinical trial of high-risk patients with mild to moderate COVID-19, ivermectin treatment during early illness did not prevent progression to severe disease. The study findings do not support the use of ivermectin for patients with COVID-19," the study concluded.
Just over half (51.8 percent) of the participants had received two doses of COVID-19 vaccines. Among the vaccinated patients, 17.7% were treated with ivermectin and developed severe disease, compared to 9.2% in the control group. The FDA has not approved ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19, and has even warned against its use.
"Ivermectin, an inexpensive, easy-to-administer, and widely available antiparasitic drug, has been used as an oral therapy for COVID-19. An in vitro study demonstrated inhibitory effects of ivermectin against SARS-CoV-2. Although some early clinical studies suggested the potential efficacy of ivermectin in the treatment and prevention of COVID-19, these studies had methodologic weaknesses," the study authors wrote.
You can read more from the study here.
