Age-old drug to rein in corona?

LUCKNOW: Medical experts from across the country are trying to formulate a consensus on exploring the role of an age-old drug 'ivermectin' in the treatment of Covid-19. They have also decided to take out a white paper on the drug's efficacy in treating this viral disease.


Discussing the role of 'ivermectin' in treating Covid-19 at a national webinar on Monday, Dr Suryakant, president, Indian College of Allergy, Asthma and Applied Immunology, who was a keynote speaker, said that the medical fraternity is perplexed why the powerful pharma industry is not exploring the efficacy of 'ivermectin' which is available at just Rs 50.

The webinar, which was organized under aegis of the Academy of Advanced Medical Education, aimed at formulating a white paper for exploring the role of 'ivermectin' in Covid-19 treatment. Eminent national experts Padamsri Dr D Behera from Chandigarh, Dr VK Arora from Delhi, Dr Agam Vora from Mumbai and Dr T Mohan Kumar from Coimbatore also expressed their views on the topic.

Dr Suryakant said that 'ivermectin' had been a widely used, FDA approved anti-helminthic drug which is mainly used for worm infections like River blindness, ascariasis, filariasis and other such diseases. Recently, there have been reports of its efficacy against SARS Cov-2 as well, he said.

Dr Suryakant, head, department of respiratory medicine,

KGMU

, presented an overview of the drug and also enlightened participants regarding the interesting history behind the discovery of this drug. In 1970, microbiologist Satoshi Omura collected a soil sample from woods close to a golf course in Kawana, on the south east coast of Honshu, Japan. Omura isolated and cultured a bacteria from this soil and together with Wlliam Campbell from New Jersey tested for its anti-parasitic effects. They were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine in 2015 for their discovery. From a fortuitous discovery on a Japanese golf course to a Nobel Prize, the impact of 'ivermectin' on human health to date has been extraordinary.

It is not the first time that antiviral properties of 'ivermectin' have been explored. It is shown to be effective against dengue and influenza. The in-vitro antiviral activity of 'ivermectin' against SARS-CoV-2 has further extended the antiviral spectrum of this drug. As 'ivermectin' has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), repurposing it for anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapy would not be a problem.

Dr Suryakant, former president of Indian Chest Society (ICS) and National College Of Chest Physicians (NCCP), said the expert group has reviewed all available evidences and data from clinical trials of 'ivermectin' and would soon present a decisive comment about how it may prove to be beneficial to Covid-19 patients.

Nevertheless, compared with other pharmacotherapeutic options currently available in market, 'ivermectin' may have leverage. Adverse effects of 'hydroxychloroquine' or 'lopinavir’and 'ritonavir' combinations are not seen in patients who are on 'ivermectin'. Compared to these drugs, 'ivermectin' is safe and has a lesser side effect profile.

Besides, the treatment regimen with 'ivermectin' may turn out to be more cost-effective. The therapeutic regimen with 'hydroxychloroquine' and 'azithromycin' combination comes out to be five−six times more expensive than the one with 'ivermectin'. The same can be said about the other antivirals which are priced at exorbitant rates. These factors may prove 'ivermectin' to be a viable option for India.