What is ivermectin: The controversial drug Joe Rogan used to treat Covid-19

The drug Joe Rogan touted as part of his Covid-19 recovery can be bought over the counter with a prescription in Australia, but is it safe?

Ivermectin is in the news again this week after Joe Rogan, the biggest podcast host in the world, touted it as an integral part of his recovery from coronavirus.

Rogan, who hosts Spotify’s number one podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, took to Instagram earlier today to explain he was feeling “pretty f**king good” three days after being diagnosed with coronavirus.

Rogan admitted he “threw the kitchen sink” at his infection, taking a cocktail of drugs that included monoclonal antibodies, ivermectin, Z-pak (zithromax), prednisone, an NAD drip and a vitamin drip.

“I really only had one bad day,” he said.

“Sunday sucked, Monday was better, Tuesday felt better than Monday and today I feel good, I feel pretty f***ing good.”

But doctors continue to warn against ivermectin, suggesting the drug can often make Covid-19 patients sicker.

What is ivermectin?

Ivermectin is not new – the medicine has long been used to treat parasitic infections.

Two types of the medication exist – one to treat conditions in humans, and another for animals.

It was first discovered in 1975 and came into medical use in 1981, and was approved for human use in 1988.

In 2015, half of that year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to ivermectin’s discoverers, Satoshi Ōmura of Kitasato University and William Campbell of Merck.

What is ivermectin used for?

Ivermectin is commonly used by veterinarians and animal lovers to deworm domestic animals and cattle.

In humans, it exists in tablet form and has been widely used in Africa to treat intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis – also known as river blindness – which are conditions caused by parasitic worms.

Topical formulations are also used to combat head lice and skin conditions such as rosacea.

However, ivermectin is not an antiviral, which means there is no evidence it can be used to treat viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes the disease known as Covid-19.

When the medication is taken as intended it is low risk – however, when taken in large doses it can cause serious side effects.

And according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “ivermectin preparations for animals are very different from those approved for humans”.

Today, Westmead Hospital toxicologist Associate Professor Naren Gunja begged the community to avoid the potentially dangerous drug after a positive Covid-19 case presented to the hospital’s emergency department with vomiting and diarrhoea due to overdosing on ivermectin.

The US FDA issued a stern warning against taking the drug to treat Covid-19 last week.

You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y'all. Stop it. https://t.co/TWb75xYEY4

— U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) August 21, 2021

Is ivermectin available in Australia?

Ivermectin is available in Australia and can be bought over the counter with a prescription.

However, the drug has not been approved for use against Covid-19 and doctors will only prescribe the medicine to treat other infections it has been proven to work against.

Ivermectin imports into Australia have spiked in recent months, prompting a warning from the drug regulator the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

“Ivermectin is a prescription medicine that is not approved in Australia (or in other OECD countries) to prevent or treat Covid-19 disease, and should not be imported for this indication,” the regulator warned last week.

“The TGA strongly discourages self-medication and self-dosing with ivermectin for Covid-19 as it may be dangerous to your health. There is insufficient evidence to validate the use of ivermectin in patients with Covid-19.”

The TGA warned “more evidence-based research is required to determine if ivermectin could be used as an antiviral medicine to fight against Covid-19 disease” and that there “is a need for larger and consistent randomised controlled clinical trials”.

When was ivermectin first linked to Covid?

The interest around ivermectin exploded in April 2020 when a team of Australian scientists published their findings from a laboratory experiment that showed ivermectin inhibited the replication of the Covid-19 virus in monkey cells.

The researchers warned against the discovery however due to it being performed on monkey cells in test tubes and the dose that was given was a lot higher than has ever been given to a human.

NPS MedicineWise, a not-for-profit medical organisation in Australia, cited the importance of a clinical trial involving humans because “people with Covid-19 may already be very unwell, and should not take a medicine that might make them sicker”.

Is there any evidence of ivermectin helping Covid patients?

Cochrane Reviews, which publishes globally recognised systematic reviews of research in healthcare and health policy, conducted a review into ivermectin and its link to Covid-19 on July 28 this year.

The review looked at the efficacy of ivermectin on treating or preventing coronavirus.

“Based on the current very low to low‐certainty evidence, we are uncertain about the efficacy and safety of ivermectin used to treat or prevent Covid‐19,” Cochrane Reviews said.

“The completed studies are small and few are considered high quality. Several studies are underway that may produce clearer answers in review updates. Overall, the reliable evidence available does not support the use of ivermectin for treatment or prevention of Covid‐19 outside of well‐designed randomised trials.”

What do doctors say about ivermectin?

Doctors are sceptical about the use of ivermectin to treat coronavirus.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant issued a message to people looking to take alternative treatments today.

“I mean my message would be simple for all things. Make sure that you’ve got your healthcare provided by a healthcare practitioner and that you seek advice before taking any medications,” she told reporters.

“It is important to seek the best health advice. Our doctors in Australia are across the literature in terms of what drugs and therapies are useful in Covid. Please listen to them.”

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant. Picture: Bianca De Marchi/NCA NewsWire

Prof. Gunja from Westmead Hospital called on people to get advice from their doctor before taking anything.

“There’s no evidence to support the use of ivermectin to treat Covid-19,” ” he said. “Don’t look for magic cures online, and don’t rely on what’s being peddled on the internet, because none of them work.”

US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has also begged Americans not to take the drug for Covid-19.

“Don’t do it,” he said. “There is no evidence whatsoever that works.”