J Control Release
. 2020 Oct 7;S0168-3659(20)30580-0.
doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.10.009. Online ahead of print.
Ivermectin: An award-winning drug with antiviral expectations against COVID-19
Fabio Rocha Formiga 1 , Roger Leblanc 2 , Juliana de Souza Rebou?as 3 , Leonardo Paiva Farias 4 , Ronaldo Nascimento de Oliveira 5 , Lindomar Pena 6
Affiliations
- PMID: 33038449
- DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.10.009
Abstract
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.