3 ms·

FDA-approved Drug Ivermectin inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro

48 points by colinthompson 6y ago

amitutk 6y ago
The key here is "in vitro". If there is virus growing in a Petri dish, we can inhibit the growth. But we have no idea what happens when we put this drug in a complex living being.
- syspec 6y ago
  Well we have some idea, as it's already FDA approved for other uses
- SpikedCola 6y ago
  Relevant XKCD [0] [0] https://xkcd.com/1217/ https://xkcd.com/1217/
dis-sys 6y ago
in "vitro” is a magic word, surely enough salt can also inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in _vitro_.
- xscott 6y ago
  Or bleach.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
lidHanteyk 6y ago
Ivermectin is an anti-helmenthic (thanks House! [0]); it removes worms and is presumably harmful to biotic material. There's no particular reason why ivermectin should be especially effective against viruses, AFAIK. WP tells me that ivermectin acts by disrupting cell permeability and the osmotic balance, and that it is neurotoxic to mammals, which sounds about right for somethihng meant to kill parasites. I'm glad that people are doing these experiments, but without a convincing "why" or mechanism of action, it's risky to imagine that an existing pill will neatly fit into this novel virus's way of life and death. It also makes me think of things like my emergency gout medication, colchicine, which is also a cellular toxin and cannot be taken for long periods of time. (Again, thanks House!) [0] https://house.fandom.com/wiki/97_Seconds https://house.fandom.com/wiki/97_Seconds [0] https://house.fandom.com/wiki/Occam%27s_Razor https://house.fandom.com/wiki/Occam%27s_Razor
- thereisnospork 6y ago
  > I'm glad that people are doing these experiments, but without a convincing "why" or mechanism of action, it's risky to imagine that an existing pill will neatly fit into this novel virus's way of life and death. As a datum[0] we still don't understand how tylenol works. Quite a lot of drugs are developed without meaningful or correct understanding of the underlying mechanisms. If it is effective in a petri dish we should test it on people - if it works in people we should give it to the infected. Given a known safety profile there isn't a lot more logic needed here. [0]https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00646906 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00646906

48 points by colinthompson 6y ago

The key here is "in vitro". If there is virus growing in a Petri dish, we can inhibit the growth. But we have no idea what happens when we put this drug in a complex living being.

syspec 6y ago
Well we have some idea, as it's already FDA approved for other uses
SpikedCola 6y ago
Relevant XKCD [0] [0] https://xkcd.com/1217/ https://xkcd.com/1217/

dis-sys 6y ago

in "vitro” is a magic word, surely enough salt can also inhibits the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in _vitro_.

xscott 6y ago
Or bleach.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

lidHanteyk 6y ago

Ivermectin is an anti-helmenthic (thanks House! [0]); it removes worms and is presumably harmful to biotic material. There's no particular reason why ivermectin should be especially effective against viruses, AFAIK. WP tells me that ivermectin acts by disrupting cell permeability and the osmotic balance, and that it is neurotoxic to mammals, which sounds about right for somethihng meant to kill parasites. I'm glad that people are doing these experiments, but without a convincing "why" or mechanism of action, it's risky to imagine that an existing pill will neatly fit into this novel virus's way of life and death. It also makes me think of things like my emergency gout medication, colchicine, which is also a cellular toxin and cannot be taken for long periods of time. (Again, thanks House!) [0] https://house.fandom.com/wiki/97_Seconds https://house.fandom.com/wiki/97_Seconds [0] https://house.fandom.com/wiki/Occam%27s_Razor https://house.fandom.com/wiki/Occam%27s_Razor

thereisnospork 6y ago
> I'm glad that people are doing these experiments, but without a convincing "why" or mechanism of action, it's risky to imagine that an existing pill will neatly fit into this novel virus's way of life and death. As a datum[0] we still don't understand how tylenol works. Quite a lot of drugs are developed without meaningful or correct understanding of the underlying mechanisms. If it is effective in a petri dish we should test it on people - if it works in people we should give it to the infected. Given a known safety profile there isn't a lot more logic needed here. [0]https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00646906 https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00646906