We also have scientific investigations involving human participants, but they typically have concerning limitations3. Some of these limitations include:
- Having small sample sizes.
- Patients receiving other medications, such as corticosteroids and hydroxychloroquine, in addition to ivermectin.
- Unclear descriptions of the severity of the COVID infections.
Ivermectin is not an effective treatment for COVID-19
With the misinformation going around about ivermectin, it’s crucial to take note of the following reminders from various health institutions.
Merck5, the maker of ivermectin medicine for human use, issued a statement saying that to date, their analysis showed no scientific basis on the therapeutic effects of the drug against COVID-19 from pre-clinical studies. They also noted the concerning lack of safety data in the studies currently available.
The World Health Organization (WHO)6 and European Medicines Agency (EMA)7 also do not recommend the use of ivermectin for COVID-19 outside controlled clinical trials.

The Philippine Food and Drug Administration (FDA)8 strongly advises the public against the purchase and use of veterinary ivermectin. In their statement, the FDA reminded the people that currently, the only available ivermectin for human use in the country is in topical form and it can only be obtained with a doctor’s prescription.