COVID treatments: Essentia Health to help test 3 existing medications — including ivermectin
Essentia Health will take part in a nationwide clinical trial to see how effective three existing medications are in treating COVID.
The Duluth-based health system announced its inclusion in the double-blind trial Monday, saying the goal of the study is to "evaluate repurposed medications" — meaning drugs already approved by the FDA for other uses — in treating mild or moderate COVID-19.
Among the three drugs that will be trialed is ivermectin, a medication that has become a politicized rallying cry among the anti-vaccine crowd. The drug is approved for use in humans to treat two specific conditions caused by parasitic worms, but health experts and the drug's manufacturer, Merck, have said there is not any concrete evidence it will be effective against COVID.
Yet starting in summer of 2021, demand for ivermectin has skyrocketed, with people even seeking out and taking the animal-grade version (something health officials, again, have said is a bad idea since the formulation isn't the same as the human version).
This nationwide double-blind study, part of a COVID treatment effort being led by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, will help answer the question of whether ivermectin is or is not an effective COVID treatment.
The two other medications that will be included in the trial are fluticasone, an inhaled steroid commonly prescribed for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and fluvoxamine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), often prescribed for depression, Essentia Health said.
“We are very excited and fortunate to have this important clinical trial available to the communities we serve,” said Dr. Rajesh Prabhu, an infectious disease physician at Essentia Health, in the announcement. “If enough people diagnosed with COVID-19 participate in this study, we can answer quickly whether these medications will be beneficial in treating mild-to-moderate COVID. The aim of the study is to see if these medications make you feel better sooner and prevent hospitalization.”
Essentia's role will be to serve as a clinical research site: Referring eligible study participants, then enrolling them and monitoring their progress for 90 days. The trial does not require site visits. Anyone who qualifies and is interested can reach out to Essentia Health here.
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