What you should know about ibuprofen and COVID-19

To Our Medical Professional Community,
At GSK Consumer Healthcare, we understand your need to have the correct information to feel confident in your treatment decisions, and to address your patients’ questions and concerns. As your trusted partner in the healthcare and well-being of your patients, we are committed to supporting you.
The scientific consensus is clear. OTC ibuprofen/Advil remains safe to use as directed. The current scientific literature does not show that OTC ibuprofen/Advil makes COVID-19 health outcomes worse, and the world’s leading health authorities have confirmed there is no evidence to recommend that COVID-19 patients avoid OTC ibuprofen.
Health Canada1, Canadian Paediatric Society2, Canadian Pharmacists Association3, NIH4 and The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK5, continue to acknowledge the lack of scientific evidence connecting NSAIDs, including ibuprofen, with worsening COVID-19.
On May 27, 2020, the World Health Organization listed ibuprofen as an essential medicine in their guidelines for treating pain and fever associated with COVID-19.6
We have been constantly monitoring and evaluating research papers published in a broad range of scientific or academic journals around the world.
Recent Research Publications (March–September 2020):
- PLOS Medicine, September 2020 — A Danish study concluded that there was no association between NSAID use up to 30 days before testing for COVID-19 and mortality within 30 days or adverse outcomes within 14 days, including hospitalization, ICU admission and ventilation, for COVID-19 patients, and that NSAIDs do not lead to more severe coronavirus disease7.
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, August 2020 — Authors found no evidence of a harmful effect of NSAIDs on COVID-19 related deaths. Risks from COVID-19 do not need to influence decisions about therapeutic use of NSAIDs8.
- British Pharmacological Society, July 2020 — The authors noted that epidemiological studies have suggested potential benefits for NSAID use on reducing the risk of development of severe disease in COVID-19 patients while also raising warning for ibuprofen use in COVID-19 patients9.
- JAMA Network Open, July 2020 — Researchers found that the currently available data, including the primary endpoints in their study, do not seem to support strong recommendations against using NSAIDs in patients with viral pneumonia10.
- Clinical Infectious Disease, July 2020 — Authors of an observational study from South Korea, suggested that the harms associated with NSAID use may outweigh their benefits for patients with COVID-19 and therefore should be used with caution. Researchers looked only at patients hospitalized with COVID-19 who were prescribed prescription-strength, not OTC NSAIDs in the 7 days before and including their inpatient hospitalization, and it is unclear if the prescribed NSAIDs were part of their COVID-19 treatment courses or for one or more underlying serious health conditions11.
- Clinical Microbiology and Infection, June 2020 — A peer reviewed, retrospective cohort study of 403 patients with COVID-19 from Shamir Medical Centre, Israel concluded that in the studied cohort of COVID-19 patients, “ibuprofen use was not associated with worse clinical outcomes, compared with paracetamol (acetaminophen) or no antipyretic. In patients with fever, there was no difference in clinical outcomes between ibuprofen and paracetamol (acetaminophen) users”12.
When used as directed, ibuprofen can be used safely and effectively to relieve pain and reduce fever associated with COVID-19 based on general medical consensus.
For more information refer to the websites for these public health authorities. These organizations are not officially affiliated with Advil and use of their logos does not imply endorsement.

“There is no scientific evidence that establishes a link between ibuprofen, or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and the worsening of COVID-19 symptoms.” The Government of Canada is monitoring the situation closely, including reviewing new information and reports as they become available, and will take the appropriate action to help protect the health and safety of Canadians.1 When choosing a fever or pain relief medication for COVID-19, patients and healthcare professionals should consider all available treatment options, including acetaminophen and NSAIDs.1,13

The WHO guidance on Clinical management of COVID-19 published on 27 May 2020 recommends antipyretics (including NSAIDs) for the symptomatic relief of fever and pain in patients with mild COVID-19. Furthermore, ibuprofen is listed as an essential medicine for the prevention and relief of pain related to COVID-19.6

The NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines recommend the following for the use of NSAIDs in patients with COVID-194:
- Persons with COVID-19 who are taking NSAIDs for a co-morbid condition should continue therapy as previously directed by their physician (AIII).
- The Panel recommends that there be no difference in the use of antipyretic strategies (e.g. with acetaminophen or NSAIDS) between patients with or without COVID-19 (AIII).

“There is insufficient evidence that NSAIDs negatively impact morbidity or mortality of COVID-19. Health Canada continues to recommend both ibuprofen and acetaminophen for treatment of fever due to COVID-19.”3

“While there may be reasons to be cautious with NSAID therapy in older adults, there is no evidence that parents and clinicians caring for children over 6 months of age with suspected COVID-19 should avoid the use of ibuprofen for fever control.”2
Guidance for COVID-19 in Children published on Mar 25, 2020 recommends that current data and best practice both support the use of either acetaminophen or ibuprofen for COVID-19 symptoms relief.14
A legacy of evidence-based safety15
Ibuprofen is a well-established medicine that when used as labeled is considered safe for fever reduction and providing pain relief.
- It has been used by millions of consumers across 40 countries for more than 3 decades
- It has been extensively studied and is strictly regulated to ensure its use complies with local healthcare authority requirements
- It has been used extensively to relieve some of the symptoms of influenza (pain and fever)
Moving forward in these times
Consistent with the current recommendations of the major public health organizations, GSK Healthcare recommends that you speak directly with your patients regarding their individual treatment needs.
In addition, based on the general medical consensus from health agencies and global public health authorities, we hope that you continue to feel confident about using ibuprofen appropriately to reduce pain and fever to provide comfort and care for your patients with COVID-19.
We will continue to monitor the published data and provide you with updates as they are made available. As always, we remain committed to providing balanced information about our medicines, maintaining transparency about our work, operating with integrity, and always putting the interests of patients first.
Thank you and stay safe.
Please consult the Product Monograph available upon request (1-855-367-7349) or on the Health Canada website for information to assist in benefit-risk assessment. Always direct the patient to read the label. Terms of Market Authorization is also available upon request through (1-855-367-7349).