ermectin – A Potent Weapon in the AntiCOVID-19 Armamentarium

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become an earth-shattering menace afflicting the entire globe. With
no effective antiviral drugs in sight, the repurposing of many currently available drugs has been considered the mainstay of
treatment. One such drug is ivermectin (IVM), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved antiparasitic agent that has
been shown to exhibit antiviral activity against a broad range of viruses. Ivermectin proposes many potential effects to treat a
range of diseases, with its antimicrobial, antiviral and anticancer properties as a wonder drug. Several studies have reported
antiviral effects of IVM on RNA viruses such as Zika, dengue, yellow fever, West Nile, Hendra, Newcastle, Venezuelan
equine encephalitis, chikungunya, Semliki Forest, Sindbis, Avian influenza A, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome,
human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Recent studies
have suggested that IVM inhibits the replication of (SARS-CoV-2) in vitro, thus suggesting its potential for use against
COVID-19. In this review, we describe the mechanism of action, rationale, dosing protocols of IVM in the management and
prophylaxis of COVID-19 infection.