Therapeutic and Formulation Advances of Ivermectin in Veterinary and Human Medicine.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing existing literature without systematic methodology or primary human data.
PubMed 41304722 · doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics17111384
What was done
This narrative review synthesized the discovery, mechanisms, and therapeutic applications of the broad-spectrum antiparasitic ivermectin across veterinary and human medicine. It evaluated formulation strategies across oral, topical, and parenteral routes, examined challenges such as drug resistance, side effects, and repurposing controversies, and discussed the translation of delivery technologies between species using a One Health framework.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical findings or quantitative metrics. It notes that while veterinary medicine employs diverse formulation types (oral, topical, parenteral) across multiple parasite indications, approved human use remains limited primarily to single oral doses and dermal creams for conditions including onchocerciasis, head lice, scabies, rosacea, and gastrointestinal helminths. The authors argue for expanding human dosage forms using delivery advancements from veterinary practice.
Why it matters
Contrasting veterinary and human delivery platforms highlights significant gaps in human formulation availability, potentially guiding the design of targeted drug delivery systems for both established and emerging parasitic indications.
Limits
As a narrative review, the paper provides no new empirical data, meta-analytic pooling, or structured systematic search methodology. The abstract lacks quantitative efficacy or pharmacokinetic comparisons between formulation types.
Cited by
- supports Ivermectin is used as a therapeutic in humans to treat parasitic diseases, helminth infections, scabies, and lice.