Violain Desort-Henin et al.

Ivermectin (IVM) is a well-known drug currently used to treat several parasitic diseases. It has a proven safety profile over many decades of exposure. It is one of the several drugs explored for its potential therapeutic and preventive role against SARS-CoV-2 infection as previous studies had reported its antiviral effects on both RNA and DNA viruses. Caly et al. demonstrated that a single dose of IVM could control the in vitro replication of SARS-CoV-2. Several mechanisms of action have been suggested for its effect on SARS-CoV-2. Those mechanisms could lead to an efficient SARS-CoV-2 prevention, independently of virus mutations.

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is a method of preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection after a known exposure to the virus that may limit the spread of infection.

… This study demonstrated highly statistically significant evidence in a large, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that daily oral treatment with ivermectin reduced the risk of infection following exposure to SARS-CoV-2.

Ivermectin was also shown to be safe in doses and duration higher than currently used in approved indications.