Ivermectin: an award-winning drug with expected antiviral activity against COVID-19
Review hypothesizing that micro- and nanotechnology-based formulations of ivermectin for the pulmonary delivery of ivermectin may be beneficial for use with COVID-19.
Formiga et al., 10 Jan 2021, peer-reviewed, 6 authors.
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Journal of Controlled Release 329 (2021) 758–761
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Journal of Controlled Release
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jconrel
Ivermectin: an award-winning drug with expected antiviral activity against
COVID-19
Fabio Rocha Formiga a, b, *, Roger Leblanc c, Juliana de Souza Rebouças d,
Leonardo Paiva Farias e, Ronaldo Nascimento de Oliveira f, Lindomar Pena g
a
Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), 50670-420 Recife, PE, Brazil
Graduate Program in Applied Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Pernambuco (UPE), 50100-130 Recife, PE, Brazil
Department of Chemistry, University of Miami, 1301 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146, USA
d
Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Pernambuco (UPE), 50100-130 Recife, PE, Brazil
e
Laboratory of Inflammation and Biomarkers, Gonçalo Moniz Institute (IGM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), 40296-710 Salvador, BA, Brazil
f
Bioactive Compounds Synthesis Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil
g
Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute (IAM), Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), 50670-420 Recife, PE, Brazil
b
c
A B S T R A C T
Ivermectin is an FDA-approved broad-spectrum antiparasitic agent with demonstrated antiviral activity against a number of DNA and RNA viruses, including severe
acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Despite this promise, the antiviral activity of ivermectin has not been consistently proven in vivo. While
ivermectin’s activity against SARS-CoV-2 is currently under investigation in patients, insufficient emphasis has been placed on formulation challenges. Here, we
discuss challenges surrounding the use of ivermectin in the context of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) and how novel formulations employing micro- and
nanotechnologies may address these concerns.
1. Commentary
The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was awarded to
William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ömura for their discoveries leading to
ivermectin [1]. In addition to its extraordinary efficacy against parasitic
diseases, ivermectin continues to offer new clinical applications due to
its ability to be repurposed to treat new classes of diseases. Beyond its
invaluable therapeutic role in onchocerciasis and strongyloidiasis, an
increasing body of evidence points to the potential of ivermectin as an
antiviral agent.
Ivermectin treatment was shown to increase survival in mice infected
with the pseudorabies virus (PRV) [2] and reduced titers of porcine
circovirus 2 (PCV2) in the tissues and sera of infected piglets [3]. In
addition, Xu et al...
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