With Less Deadly Side Effects than Tylenol, This Multipurpose Drug is Indispensable

Discovered in the late 1970s and approved as a commercial product for animal health in 1981, ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug was initially used by veterinarians to treat mite and heartworm infections. Since then, this drug has enjoyed success in treating many diseases and has been credited with saving thousands of lives.  

His love of golf led to this discovery

Satoshi Omura (former head of the Antibiotics Research Group of Kitasato University) has a habit of carrying small plastic bags in his wallet. He uses these to collect samples of soil to bring back to his laboratory for testing and experimentation. On this fateful day in the early 1970s, he was doing just that. Mr. Omura collected soil samples near the local golf course. Taking the sample he had collected back to the laboratory, at Kitasato Institute, in Tokyo, Japan where he and his coworker parasitology specialist William C. Campbell started their testing and experimentation.

Nobel prize-winning drug

Little did Mr. Omura know, that he had collected microbes that would change the world, earning him and his coworker William C. Campbell a Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2015.

Initially, the Merck Research Lab specialist and Mr. Omura had isolated a group of drugs from the Streptomyces avermitilis strain called avermectins. Avermectins possess anticancer, anti-diabetic, antiviral, and antifungal properties and are used for the treatment of several metabolic disorders.

 From this group, further structures were isolated and modified. One of these was ivermectin, which was discovered to be more potent than existing treatments for parasitic worms. (1)

In 1988, ivermectin was approved to treat Onchocerciasis (known as river blindness) in humans and was part of two global disease elimination campaigns for two types of parasitic worms. One was for river blindness, and the other was for lymphatic filariasis. These campaigns are still ongoing and are offered free of charge to poor and developing nations, especially in Central and South America.

Other diseases such as ear mites, scabies, roundworms, and hookworms along with other parasitic diseases have devastated the world’s poor, and ivermectin is being used to combat these diseases. The antiviral activity of ivermectin has been proven to be effective against a host of RNA and DNA viruses, such as Zika, yellow fever, and others. (2)

Move over big pharma, Nature knows best

Ivermectin is included in the World Health Organization’s Essential Medicines List as a parasitic medication. In addition to its ability to kill parasites, ivermectin also possesses amazing antiviral and anti-inflammatory qualities. (3)

 Ivermectin has FDA-approved uses for:

• Onchocerciasis (River blindness)
• Strongyloidiasis (parasitic worm)
• Lice
• Acne rosacea

Common Off-Label Uses:

• Scabies
• Ascariasis (parasitic roundworm)
• Lymphatic filaria
• Strongyliodes stercoralis
• Loa Loa (African eye worm)
• Hookworm-related cutaneous larva migrans
• Trichuriasis (whipworm infection)
• COVID-19

Astounding safety profile

Ivermectin has very few side effects and has proven to be one of the safest medications on the market. According to the package insert for Stromectol, the generic version of ivermectin, “Significant lethality was observed in mice and rats after single oral doses of 25 to 50 mg/kg and 40 to 50 mg/kg, respectively... “This would be the equivalent of a 150 lb. man taking 283 of the 12 mg ivermectin capsules that are part of the Contagion Emergency Kit and Medical Emergency kits! (Our tablets contain 12 mg each; the kits come with 25 tablets.)

• Ivermectin is dosed according to body weight and the recommended dose is 0.6mg ivermectin per lb. for COVID-19 prophylaxis.
• For instance, a person weighing 150 lbs. would need 3 (36 mg a day) capsules for 5-7 days. That totals 15 to 21 capsules. (4)
• Other medical kits on the market only contain 3 mg tablets in either 20 or 40-tablet quantities. You would have enough for 1-3 days of treatment depending on the quantity of tablets. Of course, ivermectin in those doses is for parasitic treatment, and not for COVID-19 exposure or prophylaxis.

The Wellness Company has you covered

• Both the Contagion Emergency Kit and Medical Emergency Kits contain enough ivermectin in adequate strength and number to cover prophylactic use in case of COVID-19 exposure.

Common side effects include itchiness, fever, swelling, rash, hives, joint pain, and diarrhea. Some patients report temporary visual aura. (4)

Can interact with some drugs. Consult with a medical provider if pregnant, breastfeeding, or using any other medications.

Controversy

Why is there so much controversy over a proven medication with so few side effects that has been used for years to safely treat entire populations without all the pushback that ivermectin has been getting the past several years? Could it be that big pharma had other antivirals that could be patented, leading to massive profits, unlike ivermectin, which has been off-patent and available as a generic medication for years?

Citations

1. El-Saber Batiha, G., Alqahtani, A., Ilesanmi, O. B., Saati, A. A., El-Mleeh, A., Hetta, H. F., & Magdy Beshbishy, A. (2020). Avermectin Derivatives, Pharmacokinetics, Therapeutic and Toxic Dosages, Mechanism of Action, and Their Biological Effects. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 13(8), 196. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph13080196
2. Formiga FR, Leblanc R, de Souza Rebouças J, Farias LP, de Oliveira RN, Pena L. Ivermectin: an award-winning drug with expected antiviral activity against COVID-19. J Control Release. 2021 Jan 10;329:758-761. doi: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.10.009. Epub 2020 Oct 7. PMID: 33038449; PMCID: PMC7539925.
3. Portmann-Baracco A, Bryce-Alberti M, Accinelli RA. Antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties of ivermectin and its potential use in Covid-19. Arch Bronconeumol. 2020 Dec;56(12):831. doi: 10.1016/j.arbr.2020.06.006. Epub 2020 Oct 22. PMCID: PMC7578741.
4. 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 Jun 21;28(4):e434-e460. doi: 10.1097/MJT.0000000000001402. PMID: 34145166; PMCID: PMC8248252.
   
   

 Written by Brooke Lounsbury