Highlights
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Drug repositioning is a useful and effective means for Covid-19 antiviral drug discovery.
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Ivermectin has proven effective for HIV-1, Adenovirus, Influenza virus, SARS-CoV, and many more, in the past.
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Due to genomic similarity between SARS-CoV-2 and the SARS-CoV, IMPα/β1 complex for viral protein (NSP12-RdRp) shuttling holds great potential.
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Ivermectin also exhibits great potential in reducing SARS-CoV-2 viral replication via numerous modes of action.
Abstract
Ivermectin (IVM) is an FDA approved macrocyclic lactone compound traditionally used to treat parasitic infestations and has shown to have antiviral potential from previous in-vitro studies. Currently, IVM is commercially available as a veterinary drug but have also been applied in humans to treat onchocerciasis (river blindness – a parasitic worm infection) and strongyloidiasis (a roundworm/nematode infection). In light of the recent pandemic, the repurposing of IVM to combat SARS-CoV-2 has acquired significant at
