Japanese trading and pharmaceutical company Kowa Co Ltd said on Monday anti-parasite drug ivermectin showed an “antiviral effect” against Omicron and other variants of coronavirus in joint non-clinical research.
The company did not provide further details.
The firm has been working with Kitasato University, a medical university in Tokyo, on testing the drug which is used to treat parasites in animals and humans, as a potential treatment for COVID-19.
Clinical trials are ongoing but promotion of the drug as a COVID-19 treatment has generated controversy.
The drug is not approved for treatment of COVID-19 in Japan and the U.S. Federal Drug Administration, the World Health Organization and the EU drug regulator have warned against its use.
What is ivermectin?
Ivermectin is an anti-parasite medication used to treat parasitic diseases.
Ivermectin is an FDA approved drug for use in humans to treat a variety of parasitic infections including parasitic worms, hookworm and whipworm. It may also be used as an effective treatment for a wide range of other conditions and as a treatment of onchocerciasis, intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis or river blindness.
The antiviral activity of Ivermectin has been shown against a wide range of RNA and DNA viruses, for example, dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and others.
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