UPDATE ON THE IVERMECTIN’ MODE OF ACTION AND RESISTANCE MECHANISMS: A GENERAL MEDICAL LITERATURE OVERVIEW

Abstract

Ivermectin (IVM) is an antiparasitic drug, and it belongs to the avermectin family ofmedications. After its discovery in 1975, its first uses were in veterinary medicine toprevent and treat heartworm and acariasis. Approved for human use in 1987, today it isused to treat infestations including head lice, scabies, river blindness (onchocerciasis),strongyloidiasis, trichuriasis, ascariasis and lymphatic filariasis. It works through manymechanisms to kill the targeted parasites, and can be taken orally, or applied to the skinfor external infestations. It is on the World Health Organization's List of EssentialMedicines, it is available as a generic medicine, and is approved by the U.S. Food andDrug Administration as an antiparasitic agent. By the year 2022, it was the 420th mostcommonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 100,000prescriptions.The pioneering drug IVM, a dihydro derivative of avermectin originating solely froma single microorganism isolated at the Kitasato Intitute, Tokyo, Japan from Japanese soilhas had an immeasurably beneficial impact in improving the lives and welfare of billionsof people throughout the world. Originally introduced as a veterinary drug, it kills a widerange of internal and external parasites in commercial livestock and companion animals. Itwas quickly discovered to be ideal in combating two of the world’s most devastating anddisfiguring diseases which have plagued the world’s poor throughout the tropics forcenturies. It is now being used free-of-charge as the sole tool in campaigns to eliminateboth diseases globally. It has also been used to successfully overcome several other humandiseases and new uses for it are continually being found.IVM with many global trade names of Stromectol®, Soolantra®, Sklice® or Vietnamtrade names of Stromectin®, Pizar®, A.T Ivermectine®. IVM can be use in oral or topicalroute administration by ATC code D11AX22 (WHO) , P02CF01 (WHO), QP54AA01(WHO), QS02QA03 (WHO).