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Researchers found out that an anti-parasitic drug that is available around the world can kill COVID-19 according to a recently published article.

Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug, is typically used to treat parasitic roundworm infections. Researchers from Monash University found that a single dose of this drug can kill COVID-19 grown in cell cultures within 48 hours. This recent discovery was published in the Official Publication of the International Society of Antiviral Research.

Kylie Wagstaff, the co-author of the study from Monash University in Australia, said: "We found that even a single dose could essentially remove all viral RNA by 48 hours and that even at 24 hours there was a really significant reduction in it." 

According to scientists, Ivermectin is an approved antiparasitic drug that has been used in a wide range of killing viruses. It has shown to be effective against HIV, dengue, influenza, and Zika virus. However, scientists clarified that there is still a need to conduct human trials since the tests conducted were in vitro.

"Ivermectin is very widely used and seen as a safe drug," Wagstaff explained. We need to figure out now whether the dosage you can use it in humans will be effective - that's the next step."

It is still not known as to how the drug works against the virus but what is promising in their study is that the drug is likely to stop the virus dampening the host cell. Scientists are now working on determining the correct dosage for humans to make sure that it is safe and effective. 

Wagstaff also said, "In times when we're having a global pandemic and there isn't an approved treatment, if we had a compound that was already available around the world then that might help people sooner."

Leon Caly, the co-author of the study who also currently works from the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia, said: "As the virologist who was part of the team who were first to isolate and share SARS-COV2 outside of China in January 2020, I am excited about the prospect of Ivermectin being used as a potential drug against COVID-19."   

However, the scientists cautioned that the use of Ivermectin to combat the deadly and infectious COVID-19 will depend on the results of the future pre-clinical testing and human clinical trials and there is a need for funding in these trials.

The study conducted is a joint effort of Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and the Peter Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity.

There have been many drugs that are now on the race for human clinical trials to combat COVID-19. One of these is the Fapiravir that is being used in Japan and Turkey as an antiviral. Japan is now on the race to test the drug to combat COVID-19.

While there are more than 30 pharmaceutical companies who are also working in developing vaccines against COVID-19, three have discontinued developing their vaccines while two human trials failed in its first phase.

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