EMA says ivermectin should not be used for COVID-19

The European Medicines Agency says it has reviewed the latest evidence on the use of ivermectin for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and concluded that the available data do not support its use for COVID-19 outside well-designed clinical trials.

Ivermectin first came to prominence as a treatment for patients who had contracted the novel coronavirus last Spring, when researchers at Australia’s Monash University famously declared that the anti-parasitic drug already available around the world ‘kills the virus within 48 hours.’ Ivermectin is the active ingredient of Merck & Co’s (NYSE: MRK) Mectizan and Stromectil brands, but is also availabe as a generic.

In the European Union, ivermectin tablets are approved for treating some parasitic worm infestations while ivermectin skin preparations are approved for treating skin conditions such as rosacea. Ivermectin is also authorised for veterinary use for a wide range of animal species for internal and external parasites.