Meta-Analyses Do Not Establish Improved Mortality With Ivermectin Use in COVID-19

Abstract

A day after our investigative reporter Mary Beth pfeiffer proved that the FDA lied (and thousands likely died) with the ivermectin horse-dewormer hoax, she was locked out of twitter; 2021. Available at: https://rescue. substack.com/p/a-day-after-our-investigative-reporter. Accessed October 18, 2021. 32. Mississippi State Dept of Health. Increased poison control calls due to ivermectin ingestion and potential toxicity; 2021. MS Health Alert Network Alert. Available at: https://msdh.ms.gov/msdhsite/_static/resources/15400. pdf. August 20, 2021. 33. Pfeiffer MB, Bonvie L. Horse-bleep: how 4 calls on animal ivermectin launched a false FDA-media attack on a lifesaving human medicine; 2021. Available at: https://rescue. substack.com/p/a2520b80-bcd1-4905-a913-68f6f6809779. 34. U.S. FDA. You are not a horse, 2021. "Tweet", 21 August 2021. 35. Mole B. Ivermectin overdose death probed in NM: "I don't want more people to die", 2021.

Re: “Commentary” by Rothrock et al. “Meta-Analyses Did Not Establish Improved Mortality With Ivermectin Use in COVID-19”

“…[3][4][5] These acknowledgments aside, Bryant's letter serves as an opportunity to highlight important and potentially controversial considerations when performing meta-analyses. 1 As we demonstrate, decisions regarding these issues can dramatically influence the results of systematic reviews and metaanalyses.…”

“…We thank Bryant et al 1 for their reply and appreciate their intent to study an inexpensive drug with potential to be repurposed during this pandemic. We recognize their self-published protocol and attempt to register with the Cochrane Collaboration.…”

“…The authors seem to be mistaken about media reports within our commentary. 1 Our citations regarding off-label ivermectin use only included the New England Journal of Medicine, the Center for Disease Control Health Advisory Network, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration. [3][4][5] These acknowledgments aside, Bryant's letter serves as an opportunity to highlight important and potentially controversial considerations when performing meta-analyses.…”

Expression of Concern for Bryant a, Lawrie TA, Dowswell T, Fordham EJ, Mitchell S, Hill SR, Tham TC. Ivermectin for Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Trial Sequential Analysis to Inform Clinical Guidelines. Am J Ther. 2021;28(4): e434-e460

“…The exclusion of the suspicious data appears to invalidate the findings regarding the ivermectin's potential to decrease the mortality of COVID-19 infection. 2 The investigation of these allegations is incomplete and inconclusive at this time.This Expression of Concern does not imply that the methodology used by Mr. Andrew Bryant and his collaborators was incorrect. The use of summary data published by others is a generally accepted approach in biomedical metanalytic research.…”

“…

The decision is based on the evaluation of allegations of inaccurate data collection and/or reporting in at least 2 primary sources of the meta-analysis performed by Mr. Andrew Bryant and his collaborators. 1,2 These allegations were first made after the publication of this article. The exclusion of the suspicious data appears to invalidate the findings regarding the ivermectin's potential to decrease the mortality of COVID-19 infection.

…”