Fraudulent ivermectin studies open up new battleground between science and misinformation

Studies suggesting ivermectin is an effective Covid treatment relied on evidence that has substantially evaporated under close scrutiny', fresh research shows

• Follow the Australia coronavirus blog
• Covid vaccine rollout and rates tracker; Cases, trends and data tracker
• Get our free news app; get our morning email briefing

Dr Carlos Chaccour ran into difficulty when he and his colleagues began recruiting patients in Peru for their study to determine the effect of a daily dose of the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin on people infected with Covid-19.

We would call the patient and say, You have just been diagnosed with Covid and you're eligible for this study. Are you taking ivermectin?'" he says.