New peer reviewed randomised clinical trial with 500 patients: Ivermectin does not reduce the risk of severe illness from COVID-19

Ivermectin does not reduce risk of severe illness from COVID-19

The Institute for Clinical Research (ICR) NIH today announced findings for the Ivermectin study (I-TECH) in 500 hospitalised patients with Stage 2 or 3 COVID-19. This multi-centre open-label randomised controlled trial evaluated a 5-day course of ivermectin (0.4mg/kg/day) plus standard of care (IVM group), compared to standard of care (SOC group) according to Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) guidelines for COVID-19 patients at 20 government hospitals and MAEPS 2.0 Quarantine and COVID-19 Treatment Centre (PKRC).

The trial was conducted by infectious disease physicians and clinicians who were actively involved in COVID-19 management in collaboration with the Institute for Clinical Research (ICR), National Institute of Health (NIH). The main outcome of the I-TECH study was to see if ivermectin administered during the first week of illness prevented deterioration to severe COVID-19 Stage 4 or 5 among hospitalised patients aged 50 years and above with at least one comorbidity.

ICR Director, Dr Kalaiarasu M. Peariasamy, said the I-TECH findings showed that patients in the IVM group compared to SOC group had similar rates of progression to severe COVID-19 disease at 21.2 percent and 17.3 percent respectively (OR 1.29 [95% CI 0.82-2.02]; p = 0.30). For the same primary outcome, the mean time to progression was 3.0 days for the IVM group compared to 2.9 days for the SOC group, but the difference was not statistically significant; p=0.68.

According to the Principal Investigator of the I-TECH study, Dr. Steven Lim Chee Loon, Infectious Disease Specialist at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh, there were no significant differences found in terms of ICU admission, mechanical ventilation, symptom recovery, blood parameters and chest x-ray resolution in both groups. The odds of complete symptom recovery by Day 5 of enrolment between IVM and SOC groups were very similar and not statistically significant; p=0.77.



[link to outbreaknewstoday.com]

Last Edited by Fraust66 on 12/04/2021 01:22 AM