Use of ivermectin drug for treating covid-19: review article

Covid-19, formerly known as pneumonia or 2019-nCoV disease, emerged as a global public health crisis. Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has spawned an increasing number of coronavirus-associated illnesses that have spread from animals to people. As a result of the rising number of sick people, several people started using drugs that presented at least a small effect against the symptoms of the disease. Among them, there is Ivermectin: an antiparasitic that obtained favourable results in its first in vitro experiments to combat the new Coronavirus. In this way, the objective of the study is to present the possible therapeutic action of Ivermectin against COVID-19 and its long-term effects. This study is a literary review of publications made between 2019 and 2020 with the keywords “coronavirus infection, pharmacological treatment and Ivermectin.” It culminated in the following results: The anti-viral potential of Ivermectin against various RNA viruses is due to the ability to inhibit nuclear transport mediated by α / β importin, which blocks the nuclear transport of viral proteins. Several RNA viruses depend on Impα / β1 during the infection process, so SARS-CoV-2 being an RNA virus, must have a similar mechanism of action. However, it is essential to consider that the fact that this drug has activity in vitro is not decisive to ensure success in vivo treatment. Therefore, it can be concluded that despite the promising results in vitro of Ivermectin, it is necessary to carry out more controlled studies (preclinical and clinical) to define the reliability of this therapy in vivo and to avoid damage to the user.