The FDA-approved drug ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

Leon Caly; Julian D Druce; Mike G Catton; David A Jans; Kylie M Wagstaff

doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104787

The FDA-approved drug ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

Antiviral Res. 2020 Jun:178:104787. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2020.104787. Epub 2020 Apr 3.

Authors

Leon Caly¹, Julian D Druce¹, Mike G Catton¹, David A Jans², Kylie M Wagstaff³

Affiliations

¹ Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Royal Melbourne Hospital, At the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Victoria, 3000, Australia.
² Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, 3800, Australia.
³ Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Vic, 3800, Australia. Electronic address: kylie.wagstaff@monash.edu.

Abstract

Although several clinical trials are now underway to test possible therapies, the worldwide response to the COVID-19 outbreak has been largely limited to monitoring/containment. We report here that Ivermectin, an FDA-approved anti-parasitic previously shown to have broad-spectrum anti-viral activity in vitro, is an inhibitor of the causative virus (SARS-CoV-2), with a single addition to Vero-hSLAM cells 2 h post infection with SARS-CoV-2 able to effect ~5000-fold reduction in viral RNA at 48 h. Ivermectin therefore warrants further investigation for possible benefits in humans.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Antiviral Agents / pharmacology*
Australia
Betacoronavirus / drug effects*
Betacoronavirus / physiology
COVID-19
Chlorocebus aethiops
Coronavirus Infections / drug therapy
Coronavirus Infections / virology*
Drug Approval*
Humans
Ivermectin / pharmacology*
Ivermectin / therapeutic use*
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral / drug therapy
Pneumonia, Viral / virology*
SARS-CoV-2
Vero Cells
Virus Replication / drug effects*

Substances

Antiviral Agents
Ivermectin