Does ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine remove SARS-CoV-2 spike protein from the body?

Executive Summary (short and direct)

The claim that ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine “removes” SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein from the body is not supported by the available analyses: in vitro binding observations exist for ivermectin but no credible evidence demonstrates either drug clears spike protein in vivo or from circulation. Multiple reviews and clinical reports examined by this analysis show possible antiviral or entry‑blocking effects in laboratory settings, faster PCR negativity in some clinical comparisons, and speculative clinical protocols, but none provide mechanistic or clinical proof of spike‑protein removal from the human body ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]}.

1. A laboratory handshake does not equal clinical removal — what the binding studies actually show

Lab experiments report that ivermectin can physically associate with the SARS‑CoV‑2 spike protein in vitro, with binding demonstrated by equilibrium dialysis and protection from proteolysis, suggesting a physical interaction between ivermectin and recombinant S protein at micromolar affinity (Ka = 1.22 µM⁻¹, Kd = 0.81 µM). These findings are limited to controlled assays using purified or recombinant protein and computational docking; they do not test whether that interaction occurs in humans, at therapeutic doses, or results in elimination of spike protein from tissues or blood. The MDPI in‑vitro study demonstrates binding and protein stabilization phenomena, not clearance, and hydroxychloroquine is not assessed in that work ^{[1] [6]}.

2. Clinical studies measured viral RNA or outcomes, not spike clearance

Clinical trials and comparative treatment studies cited here focus on endpoints like time to PCR negativity or symptom duration rather than measuring spike protein burden or clearance. A comparative study of ivermectin+doxycycline versus hydroxychloroquine+azithromycin reported faster PCR negativity with ivermectin in mild‑to‑moderate illness, but PCR measures viral RNA and cannot distinguish spike protein persistence or active removal mechanisms. Therefore, faster viral clearance is not equivalent to documented removal of circulating or tissue‑bound spike protein, and the clinical papers analyzed do not claim direct spike-protein elimination ^{[3] [5]}.

3. Protocols and anecdotal “detox” claims rely on extrapolation and unproven mechanisms

Clinical opinion pieces and protocols that list ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine as components of a “spike detox” regimen base recommendations on laboratory observations, small studies, or theoretical mechanisms—such as inhibition of hemagglutination or endosomal processing—rather than on rigorous in vivo evidence of spike protein removal. These sources present practical recommendations but lack peer‑reviewed trials demonstrating the specific outcome of spike clearance; their agenda appears to be therapeutic guidance from individual clinicians rather than definitive proof of molecular clearance ^{[4] [7]}.

4. Broader reviews identify neutralizers but do not endorse these drugs for spike elimination

Scoping reviews and protein‑neutralization surveys list a range of agents, including antibodies, nanomaterials, and natural compounds, that have potential to neutralize or eliminate spike protein under experimental conditions; these reviews do not include ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine as established spike‑removal therapies. The reviews emphasize candidate neutralizers that are mechanistically plausible or under investigation, and they note the absence of clinical evidence for many proposed compounds, reinforcing that ivermectin/HCQ have not been demonstrated to remove spike protein in human subjects ^{[5] [8]}.

5. Bottom line: plausible lab effects, insufficient clinical proof — what that means for patients and clinicians

The evidence landscape shows plausible in vitro interactions for ivermectin with spike protein and mixed clinical signals about viral kinetics, but it lacks direct, clinical demonstration that ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine removes spike protein from the body. Policymaking and clinical decisions require randomized trials or biochemical studies measuring spike protein kinetics in treated humans; none of the analyzed sources provide that. Readers should treat claims of spike‑protein removal by these drugs as unproven and distinguish laboratory binding or faster PCR negativity from validated clearance of spike protein in patients ^{[1] [3] [4]}.