Ivermectin
was discovered in 1975 and came into medical use in 1981. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines, the safest and most effective medicines needed in a health system. The wholesale cost in the developing world for the tablets is about US$0.12 for a course of treatment. In the United States, the costs is less than US$50. In other animals it is used to prevent and treat heartworm among other diseases.
Medical Uses
Pinworm
Ivermectin is as effective as albendazole or alternative antinematode drugs for treatment of pinworm infection (enterobiasis).
River blindness
Ivermectin is used for prevention, treatment, and control of river blindness
Loa loa filariasis
A single dose of ivermectin gives a rapid and durable decrease in body burden of eyeworm (Loa loa). The risk of ivermectin-associated severe adverse drug events is very low in persons with less than 20,000 microfilariae per mL of blood.
Threadworm
Ivermectin is more effective than albendazole and equally as effective as thiabendazole for treatment of threadworm (strongyloidiasis). Ivermectin has fewer adverse effects than does thiabendazole and is at least as well tolerated as albendazole. An analysis based on an economic model suggests that it is cost effective for people moving to Europe from areas where threadworm is common to be given a single-dose of ivermectin on arrival so as to cure presumptive infection with threadworm. Persons who are immunocompromised or who will receive immunosuppressive treatment and who have confirmed or presumptive threadworm infestation are likely to benefit from treatment with ivermectin.
Whipworm
Combination therapy with ivermectin plus albendazole is effective for treatment of whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and the rate of Mazzotti reaction is no higher than for albendazole alone.
Lymphatic filariasis
Combination therapy with ivermectin plus albendazole is effective for treatment of Lymphatic filariasis due to Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi, or Brugia timori.
Arthropod
Evidence supports its use against parasitic arthropods and insects:
Mites
such as scabies: It is usually limited to cases that prove to be resistant to topical treatments or that present in an advanced state (such as Norwegian scabies). One review found that the efficacy of permethrin is similar to that of systemic or topical ivermectin. A separate review found that although oral ivermectin is usually effective for treatment of scabies, it does have a higher treatment failure rate than topical permethrin. Another review found that oral ivermectin provided a reasonable balance between efficacy and safety. Since ivermectin is more convenient than permethrin, many have turned to veterinary sources of the drug to obtain assurance of a cure at an affordable price.
Lice
Ivermectin lotion (0.5%) is FDA-approved for patients six months of age and older. After a single, 10-minute application of this formulation on dry hair, 78% of subjects were found to be free of lice after two weeks. This level of effectiveness is equivalent to other pediculicide treatments requiring two applications.
Bedbugs
There is tentative evidence that ivermectin kills bedbugs, as part of integrated pest management for bedbug infestations. Such use however may required a prolonged course of treatment which is of unclear safety.
Malaria-bearing mosquitos
such as Anopheles gambiae: Mass drug administration of a population with ivermectin for purposes of treating/preventing nematode infestation is effective for eliminating malaria-bearing mosquitos and thereby reducing infection with residual malaria parasites.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivermectin