A study of COVID-19 patients at clinics in 12 Brazilian cities found that treatment with ivermectin—an antiparasitic drug—didn't prevent hospital admission compared with those in the placebo group.
Early in the pandemic, before treatments were available, some looked to repurpose existing drugs such as ivermectin as possible treatments. Some of ivermectin's proponents pushed the drug, despite inconclusive evidence and a lack of high quality studies.
As the drug became a politicized hot-button issue, some patients treated themselves with animal versions of ivermectin at toxic doses.
Today, the large size of the randomized, placebo-controlled trial, known as a gold standard for evaluating treatments, tilts the weight of evidence away from ivermectin benefits for COVID-19, according to the study authors. The team published its findings yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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