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Why the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin evokes same debate as Hydroxychloroquine for treating COVID-19 patients
Money Control ^ | 03/23/2021 | VISWANATH PILLA

Posted on 03/23/2021 8:29:23 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

The European Medicines Agency (EMA), which regulates drugs in the EU, on March 22 decided not to recommend the use of anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin for COVID-19 treatment.

Ivermectin is used in treating Malaria.

However, the EU drug regulator allowed the use of Ivermectin in well-designed clinical trials.

The Europe drug regulator decision comes following the review of all the evidence from laboratory studies, observational studies, clinical trials and meta-analyses.

In February this year, the US National Institute of Health (NIH), after a review of evidence said that there was insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use of Ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19.

It further said results from "adequately powered, well-designed, and well-conducted clinical trials are needed to provide more specific, evidence-based guidance on the role of Ivermectin in the treatment of COVID-19."

Ivermectin, the anti-parasitic drug has been widely used in India and many other countries as off-label medication to treat mild and moderate COVID-19 patients, despite limited evidence of its efficacy.

While Ivermectin is not included in the COVID-19 Clinical Management Protocol, that's not stopping physicians and hospitals from using it. For instance, West Bengal government's COVID-19 protocol released on September 25, 2020, allows the use of Ivermectin and doxycycline combination for treating mild-moderate COVID-19.

The West Bengal government asks physicians to share clinical records and data regarding the use of Ivermectin with the state, as clinical trials of the drug are going on.

How did Ivermectin shoot to fame?

Ivermectin, which is an age old drug used for parasitic worm infestations like head lice, has shot to limelight during the COVID-19, as in-vitro studies suggest that the drug in certain doses can kill SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Ivermectin is known to have broad spectrum antiviral properties. Broad spectrum means it can kill or block a host of viruses.

William C. Campbell and Satoshi Omura have jointly won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015 for discovering Ivermectin.

Medical experts divided

Dr. Rahul Pandit, Director of Director-Critical Care, Fortis Hospitals Mumbai says he has never used Ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients.

"There is little scientific evidence that this drug works against COVID-19, like Hydroxychloroquine it gained prominence for having antiviral properties," Pandit said.

Another doctor who treated COVID-19 patients but didn't want to be named said he found Ivermectin along with doxycycline beneficial to patients as "it cleared virus much faster."

To be sure, the results from clinical trials are mixed. Some clinical studies showed no benefits or worsening of disease after Ivermectin use, while others reported shorter time to resolution of disease, greater reduction in inflammatory markers, and lower mortality rates in patients who received it than in patients who received comparator drugs or placebo.

The debate on Ivermectin is not settled yet.

The US-based Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC), that counts some of the top critical care specialists as its members, said 16 randomised controlled trials (totaling over 2,500 patients), the majority have reported a statistically significant reduction in transmission or disease progression or mortality.

"Further, a meta-analysis recently performed by an independent research consortium calculated the chances that Ivermectin is ineffective in COVID-19 to be 1 in 67 million. The FLCCC Alliance, based on the totality of the existing evidence, supports recommendation for the use of Ivermectin in both the prophylaxis and treatment of all phases of COVID-19," FLCCC said early this year.


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Science; Society
KEYWORDS: chinavirustreatment; covid19; hcq; hydroxychloroquine; ivermectin
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To: Uncle Miltie

Doctors were putting it into the prolaxis .....because it didn’t work


41 posted on 03/24/2021 5:25:52 AM PDT by AppyPappy (How many fingers am I holding up, Winston? )
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To: JD_UTDallas

If we have a treatment for it, why do we care if people still remain contagious and can spread the virus? Get a prescription to treat it like we do with every other infection. I don’t understand the obsession with wiping out the virus, if that’s even possible. We should be focused on building healthy immune systems among the population and on drugs that will treat the illness. For those who are infirm with compromised immune systems and want to be vaccinated, they can choose to be vaccinated, just like getting a flu or pneumonia shot.


42 posted on 03/24/2021 6:42:35 AM PDT by FrdmLvr
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To: SeekAndFind

Some of the “official” reported opposition to Ivermectin in treating Covid-19 likely comes from background support for that opposition from big pharma, who makes nothing from Ivermectin.

Now then, THAT opposition alone cannot justify the use of Ivermectin. It must stand on its own based on investigation, analysis and important controlled clinical trials.

HOWVER, what opposition to Ivermectin cannot be allowed to do is to keep such official clinical trials from being done or from sidelining their results through big pharma influence in the official organizations doing the trials.


43 posted on 03/24/2021 7:19:51 AM PDT by Wuli
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To: Pontiac

You beat me to it. I wanted to read the comments first.

Head lice??? HUH???

I think somebody either didn’t proofread or failed 7th grade biology class.


44 posted on 03/24/2021 8:03:19 AM PDT by Paleo Pete (I survived the great Texas freeze out. I may not survive biden...)
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To: SeekAndFind

Seems like there are quite a few treatments that do the same thing as these so called vaccines which are not really vaccines since they just lessen the symptoms and don’t prevent covid.

Another one is nebulized hydrogen peroxide.


45 posted on 03/24/2021 9:02:16 AM PDT by Pollard (Bunch of curmudgeons)
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To: Paleo Pete

I get the feeling that the writer Googled ‘parasite’ and lice was the number one return.


46 posted on 03/24/2021 2:48:48 PM PDT by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit)
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To: SeekAndFind
W.H.O., CDC, FDA, fauci, the democrats and the media are all lying:

https://c19ivermectin.com/

https://c19hcq.com/


47 posted on 03/24/2021 3:34:38 PM PDT by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: SeekAndFind

Is it out of patent and inexpensive? That would explain it...follow the money.


48 posted on 03/25/2021 7:27:25 AM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Militia to the border! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: Pontiac
Lice are worms?

No. Their larvae are similar to worms but not the same. They call them Nits, I think.

49 posted on 03/25/2021 7:49:57 AM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Militia to the border! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: WildHighlander57
What happened when vaccinated people encounter a covid-infected person?

It depends on what the left's current needs are. Do they need MORE infections or deaths for political purposes, or FEWER?

50 posted on 03/25/2021 7:58:16 AM PDT by JimRed (TERM LIMITS, NOW! Militia to the border! TRUTH is the new HATE SPEECH.)
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To: JimRed

I didn’t know so I looked it up.

Nits are the eggs attached to the hair of the host.

The louse does not have a larval stage.

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/biology.html


51 posted on 03/25/2021 2:53:41 PM PDT by Pontiac (The welfare state must fail because it is contrary to human nature and diminishes the human spirit)
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To: All
I've been taking HCQ since last summer and avoided Covid until this week. I received HCQ most recently via America's Frontline Doctors. Even though I ultimately got Covid, it has been very mild. My highest temp was 100.4. I have been extremely tired. Other than that, it hasn't been any worse that seasonal allergies.
52 posted on 04/23/2021 7:17:30 PM PDT by Qathleen (Q is the best letter of the alphabet!)
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To: Qathleen

My wife has been taking HCQ for decades. And Ivermectin for months. She is in the hospital with COVID pneumonia.


53 posted on 04/23/2021 7:20:10 PM PDT by gitmo (If your theology doesn't become your biography, what good is it?)
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To: gitmo

I am so sorry! How long has she been in the hospital? What is the hospital doing to treat her?


54 posted on 04/23/2021 7:34:32 PM PDT by Qathleen (Q is the best letter of the alphabet!)
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To: gitmo

Prayers up!!

How did she get it?

Was she taking zinc? Vit C? Vit D?

We have two friends who’ve been taking HCQ for years and have stayed healthy during this released CCP virus.


55 posted on 04/23/2021 7:37:26 PM PDT by Jane Long (America, Bless God....blessed be the Nation ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ)
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To: SeekAndFind

They sure haven’t minded suppressing Ivermectin and HCQ with Zinc. Not even the value of vitamins D and C.

Meanwhile they have pushed the Gates vaccines like crazy.


56 posted on 04/23/2021 7:40:30 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: Jane Long

We donโ€™t know how she got it. Everyone in the family eventually got it. All were on Ivermectin & HCQ per our doctor . And Zinc, Vitamin D & C.

Two of us have only mild or no symptoms.
Two had a hospital stay.


57 posted on 04/23/2021 11:23:07 PM PDT by gitmo (If your theology doesn't become your biography, what good is it?)
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To: Qathleen

She has been there 8 days. She is on oxygen but not a ventilator. Lasix to rid the body of fluid. But her BP has dropped too low for her to receive Lasix today.


58 posted on 04/24/2021 7:59:02 AM PDT by gitmo (If your theology doesn't become your biography, what good is it?)
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