The Remarkable Story of Ivermectin

Table of Contents:

1. Ivermectin Treatment: How is Ivermectin Used?
2. The History of Ivermectin
3. The Safety of Ivermectin
4. The Efficacy of Ivermectin for COVID-19
5. The War on Ivermectin
6. Patient Success Stories

Treating COVID-19 is just one of the many diverse applications for ivermectin:

1. Ivermectin as Early COVID Treatment
2. Prophylaxis Against Viral Respiratory Infection
3. Long COVID and Long Vax Treatment
4. Parasite Treatment
5. Cancer Treatment
6. Veterinary Care
7. Many more

1. Ivermectin as Early COVID Treatment

Ivermectin has been investigated for its use in COVID-19 treatment. Numerous studies suggest it may reduce viral replication and inflammation when administered promptly after diagnosis. The below protocol suggests using ivermectin as part of a comprehensive treatment plan, aiming to mitigate symptoms and prevent disease progression.

• Learn more: I-CARE: Early COVID Treatment

2. Prophylaxis Against Viral Respiratory Infection

The FLCCC Alliance’s I-PREVENT protocol incorporates ivermectin as a key component in preventing respiratory viral infections, including COVID-19, flu, and RSV. Ivermectin is recommended for its potential antiviral properties, which may help reduce the likelihood of infection and severity of symptoms.

• Learn more: I-PREVENT: COVID, Flu, and RSV

3. Long COVID and Long Vax

The FLCCC Alliance’s I-RECOVER protocol includes ivermectin as part of the treatment plan for long COVID and post-vaccine symptoms. Ivermectin is used for its anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties, aiming to alleviate persistent symptoms and improve overall recovery. This protocol combines ivermectin with other therapies to address the complex and often debilitating symptoms associated with Long COVID and post-vaccine syndrome.

• Learn more: I-RECOVER: Long COVID Treatment
• Learn more: I-RECOVER: Long Vax Treatment

4. Parasite Treatment

Ivermectin is a crucial medication for treating various parasitic infections. It is highly effective against conditions such as strongyloidiasis, scabies, and head lice, as well as parasitic worm diseases like onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis). Its broad-spectrum activity against parasites makes it an essential tool in global health for combating these diseases.

5. Cancer Treatment

Ivermectin is being explored for its potential anti-cancer properties. Research indicates that it may inhibit the growth of various cancer cells by disrupting multiple signaling pathways essential for cancer cell survival. This promising area of study aims to determine the effectiveness of ivermectin as part of comprehensive cancer treatment protocols.

6. Veterinary Care

Ivermectin is widely used in veterinary medicine to treat a range of parasitic infections in animals. It is highly effective against external parasites such as mites and lice, as well as internal parasites like gastrointestinal worms and heartworms. Its broad-spectrum efficacy makes it a valuable tool in maintaining animal health and preventing parasitic diseases.

7. Many more

Beyond its well-known uses, ivermectin continues to demonstrate its versatility in treating numerous conditions, from parasitic infections to viral and bacterial diseases, and even cancer. Andy Crump, an expert closely linked to the development of ivermectin, highlights its broad spectrum of efficacy in a recent Nature article. Crump’s observations underscore ivermectin’s ongoing potential and unexpected benefits in various medical fields.

The safety and efficacy of ivermectin make it an excellent medicine for a wide range of ailments. Here are some more conditions ivermectin is effective against:

2. The History of Ivermectin

The story of ivermectin truly captivates. In 1975, Professor Satoshi Omura at the Kitasato Institute in Japan isolated an unusual Streptomyces bacteria from the soil near a golf course along the southeast coast of Honshu, Japan. Omura, alongside William Campbell, discovered that this bacterium could eradicate worms in mice, leading to the naming of the active compounds as “avermectins.” Remarkably, this Japanese microorganism remains the only source of avermectin ever found.

From avermectin came ivermectin, a drug that quickly proved revolutionary. Initially introduced as a veterinary medicine, its application in human use began in 1988 to treat Onchocerciasis (river blindness), soon impacting the nutrition, general health, and well-being of billions. Ivermectin stood out due to its efficacy, broad-spectrum activity, safety, and ease of administration. It became central to two global disease elimination campaigns, dramatically reducing the prevalence of some of the most devastating diseases.

The collaboration between Merck & Co. Inc., and the Kitasato Institute, enhanced by the support of international healthcare organizations, is celebrated as one of the monumental medical accomplishments of the 20th century. Merck’s decision to donate ivermectin doses to the Mectizan Donation Program, which delivered over 570 million treatments, exemplifies this success. The drug’s extensive impact in controlling Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic filariasis, along with its continued exploration for new therapeutic applications, underscore its enduring value and the reason its developers were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015.

In late 2020, ivermectin came into the spotlight when FLCCC Co-Founder Dr. Pierre Kory testified at a U.S. Senate Committee hearing about its potential in treating COVID-19. Although Dr. Kory advocated for its broad use, expecting significant support, the response was unexpectedly contentious. Despite being one of the safest medicines known, ivermectin quickly became a target of intense scrutiny by the media, government, and health authorities.

3. The Safety of Ivermectin

For comprehensive information on ivermectin please refer to our Review of the Emerging Evidence Supporting the Use of Ivermectin in the Prophylaxis and Treatment of COVID-19 and the included references.

While ivermectin is a remarkably safe drug with minimal adverse reactions (almost all minor), some potential drug-drug interactions should be reviewed before prescribing ivermectin. The most important drug-drug interactions occur with cyclosporin, tacrolimus, antiretroviral drugs, and certain antifungal drugs.

For a fuller review of the safety of ivermectin, see FLCCC Information Evidence for Safety of Ivermectin.

Standard Doses of Ivermectin

Standard doses of ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg x 1–2 days) have a nearly unparalleled safety profile historically among medicines, as evidenced by the following findings:

• WHO Guidelines for Scabies: “The majority of side effects are minor and transient”
• Jacques Descotes, Toxicologist and Expert on Safety of Ivermectin: “Severe adverse events are unequivocally and exceedingly rare”
• LiverTox Database: Not considered toxic to the liver
• Nephrotox Database: Not considered toxic to the kidney
• PneumoTox: Not considered toxic to the lungs

How to Calculate Ivermectin Dose

Note that ivermectin is available in different strengths (e.g., 3, 6 or 12 mg) and administration forms (tablets, capsules, drops, etc.). Note that ivermectin tablets can be halved for more accurate dosing, while capsules cannot.

Safety of High-Dose Ivermectin

In COVID-19, particularly with regard to the emerging variants of concern, viral loads are higher and viral replication is thought to be prolonged. Given that ivermectin has demonstrated a strong dose-response relationship in terms of viral clearance, higher doses have not only been required but have demonstrated clinical efficacy. Below are hyperlinked references to numerous studies demonstrating the wide safety profile of high dose ivermectin in COVID and other diseases.

Read more: The Safety of Ivermectin

4. The Efficacy of Ivermectin for COVID-19

The efficacy of ivermectin in treating COVID-19 has been demonstrated through extensive research and clinical trials. A comprehensive review on c19ivm.org highlights data from 105 studies involving 1,206 scientists and 220,423 patients across 30 countries. These studies show statistically significant reductions in mortality, hospitalization, ICU admissions, recovery time, cases, and viral clearance when ivermectin is used.

Key findings include:

• 85% lower risk for prophylaxis and early treatment.
• 52% lower risk in 52 RCTs.
• 47% lower mortality from 53 studies.

The above data proves ivermectin has been shown to be effective for the treatment of COVID-19. And the truth is, there’s much more data that supports it. Take another example, a simple look at the impact of ivermectin on patient populations around India:

A Totality of Evidence Supports Ivermectin and COVID-19

Dr. Pierre Kory and Dr. Paul Marik, FLCCC co-founders, have been tireless advocates for what they see as a vital, lifesaving medicine.

They emphasize the importance of considering the “totality of evidence” when evaluating ivermectin’s efficacy. This approach involves assessing all available data from clinical trials, observational studies, and real-world evidence to form a comprehensive understanding of the drug’s impact.

By integrating findings from over 105 studies involving more than 220,000 patients across 30 countries, significant reductions in mortality, hospitalization, and viral clearance have been observed.

The “totality of evidence” is crucial as it mitigates the limitations of individual studies, such as small sample sizes or potential biases, by providing a broader and more reliable picture. This method ensures that all relevant data is considered, leading to more robust and reliable conclusions about ivermectin’s effectiveness in treating COVID-19.

A sober look at the data shows undeniable evidence that ivermectin treatment results in better outcome for COVID-19 patients. Not only that, but there is great benefit to the use of ivermectin for the prevention of respiratory illness.

• Ivermectin Reduces COVID-19 Infection 72%
• Regular use of ivermectin as prophylaxis for COVID-19 reduced mortality by up to 92%
• Meta Analysis of 105 studies shows 60% lower risk for serious COVID-19 outcomes

5. The War on Ivermectin

Despite numerous studies supporting its efficacy, the battle over ivermectin as a COVID-19 treatment has been fierce. Media, pharmaceutical companies, and health authorities have repeatedly discredited ivermectin, citing their own studies that claim it is ineffective.

Proponents of ivermectin argue that many of these studies, such as the ACTIV-6 clinical trial and the PRINCIPLE Trial, suffer from flawed designs. Dr. Pierre Kory, a vocal advocate, has spent extensive time analyzing and debunking these claims.

These studies were part of a group of studies dubbed “The Big Seven” by Dr. Pierre Kory, who spent hours analyzing them to debunk their claims on his Substack.

Even Merck, the company that originated ivermectin, has issued statements against its use for treating patients with COVID-19. The media conspired to takedown ivermectin too, calling it a “horse dewormer” in an attempt to deride the medicine.

Health authorities like the FDA also joined the opposition, famously tweeting “you are not a horse” to discourage ivermectin use for COVID-19—a tweet that has since been removed from X (Twitter) by court order after FLCCC-affiliated doctors won a lawsuit against the FDA.

So what was it? Was it really a matter of profits before patients? The attacks on ivermectin were so perplexing to FLCCC President Emeritus Dr. Kory that he wrote the book on the topic: The War on Ivermectin. Along with co-author Jenna McCarthy, the book looks at the many examples of disinformation and spin involved in the many baseless attacks on ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 infections.

Despite the controversy, ivermectin’s use has spread globally. Regions in Mexico, India, Brazil, and Peru have incorporated it into their treatment protocols, with increasing support from doctors and experts worldwide.

6. Patient Success Stories