New Study Concludes No Correlation Between NSAIDS — Including Ibuprofen — and Worsening COVID-19 Outcomes

PLOS Medicine joins growing evidence of safe use of ibuprofen/Advil for COVID-19 symptoms

Mississauga, Ontario - GSK Consumer Healthcare continues to have confidence in its NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) products, including ibuprofen/Advil, to provide safe and effective pain management to Canadians. A new study published in PLOS Medicine, a peer-reviewed, nonprofit, Open Access journal, adds to the growing body of evidence that NSAIDs are not linked to more severe COVID-19 outcomes.[1]

“At GSK, we know thousands of Canadians trust and rely on Advil for fast pain relief, and we hope that this new data provides reassurance that, when used as directed, Advil can be used safely and effectively to temporarily reduce pain,” said Walid Aldoori, Medical Affairs Director, GSK Consumer Healthcare Canada. “As always, the safety and well-being of customers is our top priority. Our ibuprofen products are effectively used by millions across 40 markets globally and have been available as over-the-counter (OTC) medicines for more than 35 years. All our medicines are strictly regulated to ensure they comply with local healthcare authority requirements.”

Current scientific literature does not show that OTC ibuprofen/Advil makes COVID-19 health outcomes worse,[2] and the world’s leading health authorities — including Health Canada, European Medicines Agency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Health Service — have confirmed there is no evidence to recommend against the use of OTC NSAIDs, including ibuprofen for the treatment of pain or fever associated with COVID-19. [3][4][5][6] Ibuprofen is listed as an essential medicine in the WHO guidelines for relief of mild symptoms associated with COVID-19.[7]

Aldoori continues: “We are continually monitoring and evaluating research published in a broad range of scientific and academic journals around the world that is related to NSAID and ibuprofen use and COVID-19. These publications provide public health authorities and the medical community with an opportunity to review, assess and share knowledge about the safe use of ibuprofen products and are from the fields of infectious disease, pain management, respiratory disease, and public health, among other medical fields. We welcome any further investigation into the use of ibuprofen or other NSAIDs for the treatment of mild COVID-19 symptoms.”

The safety profile of ibuprofen/Advil can be reviewed at www.advil.ca/coronavirus. Please speak directly with your doctor, pharmacist, or healthcare provider if you have questions about your individual treatment needs.

About GSK

GSK is a science-led global healthcare company with a special purpose: to help people do more, feel better, live longer. For further information, please visit www.ca.gsk.com.

References