LONDON: Early tests show that a cheap and easy drug has the potential to make “transformative” changes to COVID-19 mortality rates, according to a presentation released by Liverpool University scientists.
Data revealed in the show suggested that the drug Ivermectin – commonly used to treat lice – could cut hospital deaths by as much as 80 percent.
In 11 trials involving more than 1,000 patients, those who received the drug appeared to clear themselves of the virus in about half the normal time.
Tests of another 5,000 patients have not yet reported their results, but Dr Andrew Hill, the researcher at the University of Liverpool who gave the released presentation, said they are expected soon.
He confirmed that his data only looked at the “gold standard” randomized controlled trials, in which patients were given the drug or placebo at random.
“The combined data may be large enough to inform the recommendations of the World Health Organization for treatment used worldwide,” Hill said.
“If we see these same trends consistently across more studies, this is a transformational approach.”
He said the anti-parasitic drug could be a particularly important tool against COVID-19 in the developing world because of its cost. “It’s very attractive because it costs between $ 1 and $ 2 for a course of treatment,” Hill said.
Despite the early positive signs, however, other researchers have urged caution against disclosing surprise treatment.
Other drugs such as hydroxychloroquine have previously been used as a major inhibitor in the treatment of COVID-19, only for improved performance in large trials.
Professor Peter Horby of Oxford University said he is concerned that the mortality data did not cover too few cases, and that many of the tests studied were not peer-reviewed. He said the new data was “interesting, perhaps encouraging, but not yet conclusive.”