Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35147927›Full record

ArticleTherapeutic innovation & regulatory science2022

Ivermectin in COVID-19: The Case for a Moratorium on Prescriptions.

Andreea Molnar, Stephanie Lau, Maja Berges, Raymond B Masa, Joshua J Solano, Scott M Alter, Lisa M Clayton, Richard D Shih, David L DeMets, Dennis G Maki and 1 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Therapeutic innovation & regulatory science, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Andreea MolnarCharles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road Suite 213, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA. andreeaioanamolnar@yahoo.com.
Stephanie LauLIV Plastic Surgery, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Maja BergesLIV Plastic Surgery, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Raymond B MasaIntensive Care Unit, Boca Raton Regional Hospital/Baptist Health System South Florida, Boca Raton, FL, USA.
Joshua J SolanoCharles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road Suite 213, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA.
Scott M AlterCharles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road Suite 213, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA.
Lisa M ClaytonCharles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road Suite 213, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA.
Richard D ShihCharles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road Suite 213, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA.
David L DeMetsSchool of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
Dennis G MakiSchool of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
Charles H HennekensSchool of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
Florida Atlantic University · USUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison · USBrookwood Baptist Health · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In treatment or prevention of COVID-19, ivermectin is not approved by the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Nonetheless, in the US, prescriptions of ivermectin by healthcare providers have increased > tenfold from 3589 per week pre-COVID-19 to 39,102. Ivermectin is FDA approved for animals to treat parasites and for humans to treat intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis orally, and ectoparasites and skin conditions topically. It is not a benign drug, with reported side effects including cutaneous, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular symptoms. The evidence to support ivermectin to treat or prevent COVID-19 includes some basic research and inconsistent clinical observations that contribute to the formulation of a hypothesis of efficacy in COVID-19. At present, data from peer-reviewed published randomized trials of sufficient size, dose, and duration to reliably test the hypothesis of the most plausible small to moderate benefits on clinically relevant endpoints are sparse. In addition to the US FDA, the US National Institutes of Health, World Health Organization, and European Medicines Agency have all advised against ivermectin for treatment or prevention of COVID-19 outside of randomized trials. For ivermectin in treatment or prevention of COVID-19, healthcare providers should reassure all patients that if sufficient evidence were to emerge, then this drug could be considered a therapeutic innovation and regulatory authorities would approve the drug. In the meanwhile, we strongly recommend a moratorium on the prescription of ivermectin for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19 except in randomized trials to provide the most reliable test of the hypothesis.

Indexed as

COVID-19 Drug TreatmentIvermectinAnimalsHumansPrescriptionsSARS-CoV-2IvermectinCOVID-19IvermectinPrescription moratoriumRandomized trialsRegulatory scienceTherapeutic innovation

Identifiers

PMID35147927
PMCPMC9086156
OpenAlexW4211122789

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.