Reference:
Reis, G., Silva, E. A. S. M., Silva, D. C. M., Thabane, L., Milagres, A. C., Ferreira, T. S., dos Santos, C. V. Q., Campos, V. H. S., Nogueira, A. M. R., de Almeida, A. P. F. G., Callegari, E. D., Neto, A. D. F., Savassi, L. C. M., Simplicio, M. I. C., Ribeiro, L. B., Oliveira, R., Harari, O., Forrest, J. I., Ruton, H., Sprague, S., McKay, P., Guo, C. M., Rowland-Yeo, K., Guyatt, G. H., Boulware, D. R., Rayner, C. R., & Mills, E. J. (2022). Effect of early treatment with ivermectin among patients with Covid-19. The New England Journal of Medicine, 386, 23-34. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2115869
Summary:
The study evaluated the efficacy of ivermectin in preventing hospitalisation among symptomatic Covid-19 patients in Brazil. A total of 3,515 patients were randomly assigned to receive either ivermectin (400 µg/kg for three days) or placebo. Results indicated that 14.7% of those on ivermectin experienced a primary outcome event (hospitalisation or prolonged emergency observation) compared to 16.3% in the placebo group, showing no significant benefit (relative risk 0.90). Secondary outcomes, including viral clearance and hospitalisation rates, similarly showed no meaningful differences. The findings suggest that ivermectin does not reduce the risk of severe outcomes in Covid-19 patients and align with previous reviews that questioned its therapeutic value. The trial underscores the importance of robust evidence in guiding treatment decisions for Covid-19.