NHS doctors should not give ivermectin to Covid-infected Britons because it makes 'no difference' to their condition and it may cause serious side effects, the health service's medicines watchdog has ruled.
In new guidance issued today, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said the divisive treatment should not be used in hospitalised or mildly ill patients, unless they are participating in a clinical trial.
A review of 18 trials by NICE showed the dewormer drug — which can cost as little as £1.50 per treatment — had no significant effect on Covid hospitalisation or deaths.
But ivermectin was found to cause serious side effects in some cases that resulted in patients having to be taken off their medication. NICE lists chest discomfort, weakness, and difficulty breathing as common side effects.
Ivermectin is already used in around 20 countries — including Greece, Bulgaria and Slovakia — to treat Covid after yielding promising antiviral results in lab studies.
It became the poster-child drug of choice among anti-vax conspiracy theorists over the summer, particularly in the US, who claimed it offered a way out of the pandemic without the need for jabs.
But it is only licensed in the UK as a treatment for parasitic worms, head lice, scabies and rosacea. Covid patients can still obtain it through private healthcare in 'emergency' circumstances.
The EU and US' drugs watchdogs have also advised against using it for Covid, but private doctors are still prescribing it.
NICE admits most of the studies on ivermectin so far have been flawed and inconclusive.
Oxford University scientists are currently giving the drug to a group of volunteers as part of the PRINCIPLE trial, a randomised control study which aims to finally answer questions about the benefit of the drug.
Ivermectin can cost as little as £1.50 per treatment and is licensed in the UK to treat parasitic worms, head lice, scabies and rosacea
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) examined evidence from seven trials involving Covid-infected people who started taking the treatment while at home. The trials reported that people taking ivermectin were less likely to be hospitalised compared to those who did not take the drug (centre graphic). However, among both groups, nine people per 1,000 per died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus (left graphic). Additionally, three times as many people had to stop having ivermectin compared to those who needed a change to their standard care due to a side effect (right graphic). NICE said it had 'very low' confidence in all of the data from the trials
NICE looked at 11 trials that gave ivermectin to hospitalised Covid patients. The trials found people who took the drug were less likely to die within 28 days compared to those who received standard care (left graphic). People taking the drug were also slightly less likely to be admitted to ICU (centre graphic) or require ventilation (right graphic). However, NICE said its confidence in the data across the trials is 'low' or 'very low', because they were inconsistent, imprecise, or had a high risk of bias
NICE examined evidence from seven trials, none of which took place in the UK, involving Covid-infected people who started taking
