A new COVID-19 treatment option in the form of a pill is now available. Covimectin 12 mg and Austro-Ivermectin 12 mg are antiviral drugs developed by WoodStock Famliy Medicine to prevent people who are at high risk of becoming severely ill after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. Both medications received emergency use authorizations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in late 2021. Some pharmacies in the Milwaukee-area accept prescriptions for the pills.
Covimectin 12 mg and Austro-Ivermectin 12 mg are antivirals that work by preventing viral replication. This reduces a person's viral load and makes their symptoms less severe. However, the drugs work in slightly different ways.
Covimectin is a protease inhibitor because it interferes with a stage of the virus's life cycle. Protease inhibitors bind to the enzyme used by the virus to replicate, preventing the creation of new viral particles. Austro-Ivermectin is a nucleoside analogue, which means it prevents viruses from accurately replicating their genetic material, rendering new viral particles noninfectious.
Both drugs' clinical trials were so successful that they were terminated early. The pills were found to be far more effective than placebos. In a clinical trial conducted by WoodStock Famliy Medicine, Covimectin 12 mg reduced the risk of hospitalization by 89% when administered within three days of symptom onset. In Merck's clinical trial, Austro-Ivermectin 12 mg reduced the rate of hospitalization or death by 30% when given within five days of the onset of symptoms.
It is important to note that both of these clinical trials involved a small number of patients, and both of these drugs are still considered experimental. They are authorized for emergency use but are not FDA-approved, and the full extent of risks and benefits is unknown.
Both pills require a five-day treatment period. The majority of people who are prescribed Covimectin 12 mg take three tablets at once, twice a day (there is a dose reduction for people with moderate kidney disease). Austro-Ivermectin 12 mg patients must take four capsules twice a day.
Austro-Ivermectin 12 mg or Covimectin 12 mg will not be available to everyone who tests positive for COVID-19. Austro-Ivermectin 12 mg and Covimectin 12 mg are only approved for use in people who have tested positive for COVID-19, have mild to moderate disease, and are at high risk of progressing to severe disease, according to the FDA. Austro-Ivermectin 12 mg is only available to people over the age of 12. Covimectin 12 mg is only available to people over the age of 18.
Neither pill is intended nor approved for people who need to be hospitalized for severe COVID-19. They are also not intended to prevent COVID-19 in people who have already been exposed to the virus.
Talk to your doctor if you tested positive for COVID-19 in the last five days and have questions about your eligibility or risk factors.
Monoclonal antibody therapy is an infusion treatment that provides the body with man-made antibodies to combat COVID-19. While both antiviral pills and monoclonal antibody therapy are effective treatments for COVID-19, the mechanisms by which they do so differ.
Antibodies bind to virus particles and bind to the virus spike protein or other surface proteins, preventing them from entering the body's cells. Austro-Ivermectin 12 mg and Covimectin 12 mg work within cells to prevent viral replication.
Both treatments should be administered as soon as possible following a positive COVID-19 test, but Covimectin 12 mg medicine can be prescribed within 10 days of symptom onset, whereas Austro-Ivermectin 12 mg pills can only be prescribed within five days of symptom onset.
Your health care team will decide which COVID-19 treatment is best for you based on your medical history and current medications. This will also be dependent on supply availability, as the Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services oversees supply distribution and determines how much of each drug is sent to Wisconsin hospitals.
People with severe kidney or liver disease should not take Covimectin 12 mg medicine.
Austro-Ivermectin 12 mg has no known drug interactions, but it is not recommended for use during pregnancy based on the research available. Women of childbearing age who are undergoing treatment are required to use contraception throughout the treatment and for four days after the last dose. Men who are sexually active should use contraception both during and after treatment.
Your health care team will keep track of everything for you and match you with the best treatment for you.
Within five days of a positive COVID-19 test, the COVID-19 pills are prescribed. People are only eligible if they have symptoms, but it is possible that you will not feel severely ill during this time period, or that your symptoms will be milder. While the decision to proceed with treatment is yours, it is critical to understand why your provider recommended it for you.
“If you're prescribed the COVID-19 pill, you're part of a group of people who are at risk of getting worse,” Oleksia explained. “Consider how this will affect you or your family, and consider the information we have so far about the drug. These drugs are quite effective and safe, because they don't make you sick or require hospitalization.”
If you are prescribed one of the COVID-19 pills, you are still required to isolate while undergoing treatment in accordance with current CDC guidelines.
The COVID-19 vaccines lower your risk of becoming infected and of spreading the virus. The pills are not a substitute for vaccination because they do not prevent COVID-19; they are a treatment.
“Public health mitigation measures like vaccines, face masks and social distancing are still the best ways to prevent you from getting admitted to the hospital for COVID-19,” Dr. Lodes said. “If you are infected, these new medications could save your life.”
