Ivermectin is part of the broader class of avermectins that are veterinary and human antiparasitic agents. Avermectins were first shown to have activity in a mouse bioassay. The structures and activities as well as improved fermentation yields enabled commercialization of ivermectin as a veterinary drug with the first product approval in 1981. Activity against Onchocerciasis (river blindness) was demon-strated in the mid-1980s and Merck partner-ed with WHO and other organizations to donate billions of doses of ivermectin to afflicted countries from 1987 to present for onchocerciasis as well as lymphatic filariasis.
View Source
Timeline Stories