Widely available drug kills coronavirus in cell cultures within 48 hours: study

Drug commonly used against parasitic infestations eradicated viral RNA in a lab-grown-cell culture

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Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, orange, emerging from the surface of cells, green, cultured in the lab, as seen via electron microscope. Undated.
Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, orange, emerging from the surface of cells, green, cultured in the lab, as seen via electron microscope. Undated.NIAID-RML via AP 2020 ©

A widely available anti-parasite drug was able to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus -- the coronavirus behind the COVID-19 disease -- in a cell culture, a team of Australian researchers announced on Friday.

According to a study done by scholars with the Monash University and published in the Antiviral Research journal, Ivermectin drug has been able to wipe out 99.8% of viral RNA within 48 hours.

In their experiment, the drug, which has also been used against other viral diseases, such as Zika and HIV, was delivered into a lab-grown cell culture infected with the coronavirus, proving to be effective in the "in vitro” test.

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Now, the next step for the team is to find funding and get approval for human trials -- and establish whether the drug would be efficient in the dosage given to patients.

Ivermectin is an FDA-approved drug commonly used to treat various parasitic infestations.

It went into medical use in 1981 and is part of the Essential Medicines List -- the list of the safest and most effective medications  World Health Organization.

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