Report: Is Ivermectin the next Hydroxychloroquine or the next Remdesivir?

Throughout the pandemic, several prescription drugs have been touted as potential treatments for COVID-19. From former President Trump promoting the benefits of hydroxychloroquine to other drugs, like dexamethasone, consumers continue on the hunt for treatments against the coronavirus. 

The latest drug generating buzz is ivermectin, an antiparasitic medicine used to treat infections caused by certain parasites, including head lice. According to initial research (small sample size and not peer-reviewed), ivermectin was associated with reduced inflammation and had a faster viral clearance. The drug has also been promoted on numerous occasions by Brazil’s President, Jair Bolsonaro, who said without mentioning the source that the principle ingredient of ivermectin can reduce the viral load in patients infected by COVID-19. 

While some advocate for the use of the drug, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released a statement on Jan. 14, 2021 that there is currently insufficient data to recommend either for or against the use of ivermectin for COVID-19. In addition to the NIH, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a cautionary statement in December that ivermectin is only approved for the treatment of some parasitic worms, head lice, and for skin conditions such as rosacea, not as a treatment for COVID-19. 

Similar to other drugs that were publicly promoted as potential COVID-19 treatments, SingleCare analyzed its fill data for ivermectin compared to the previous year to see if consumer demand has increased due to recent reports advocating for the drug. 

Ivermectin fills surge by 1336% in December 2020 and by 1126% in January 2021

As reports surfaced on the potential benefits of ivermectin treating symptoms of COVID-19, SingleCare saw a significant increase in fills for the drug beginning in October 2020 through January 2021 compared to the previous year. In December 2020, the drug saw a 1336% increase in fills, (or 10x the baseline), year-over-year and in January 2021, the drug saw its highest volume of fills in the past 12 months and a 1126% increase year-over-year.

*Baseline is the average fills of the first three months of 2020 for ivermectin

“It’s interesting to see that SingleCare prescription fill data shows a recent spike in consumer demand for ivermectin,” said Ramzi Yacoub, Pharm.D., chief pharmacy officer for SingleCare. “While it’s unknown as to what might be driving this increase in fills, it appears to be the latest example of a medication with unconfirmed clinical benefits for the treatment of COVID-19 gaining attention and prematurely driving consumer demand.”

Methodology

Data analyzed include prescription medications filled by SingleCare consumers during 2019, 2020, and 2021. Data was reviewed and analyzed by the SingleCare team as of Feb. 11, 2021.