The race to develop a treatment for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is in full swing. While researchers all around the world are testing the existing drugs against COVID-19, Australian scientists have found a common anti-parasitic drug that killed SARS-CoV-2 growing in cell culture within 48 hours. The anti-parasitic drug ivermectin is an FDA-approved drug that has been shown to be effective in vitro against many viruses including dengue, HIV, influenza and Zika virus.
The study published in the journal Antiviral Research showed that the drug ivermectin stopped the coronavirus from growing in cell culture within 48 hours. Studies on SARS-CoV proteins have found an important role for IMPα/β1 during infection in signal-dependent nucleocytoplasmic inhibiting the SARS-CoV Nucleocapsid protein that may impact host cell division. Dr Kylie Wagstaff, the study's lead author said, "We found…
