Recently, ivermectin is referred to as a ‘Wonder Drug’. There are few drugs able to claim the title as a ‘Wonder drug.’ Penicillin and aspirin are two examples of such drugs that have made a great beneficial impact on health and treatment. We are seeking to demonstrate that ivermectin can be considered alongside those worthy contenders, due to its versatility, safety and the beneficial impact.

Initially, researchers working on the development of ivermectin believed that it blocked neurotransmitters, acting on GABA-gated Cl− channels, exhibiting potent disruption at GABA receptors in invertebrates and mammals. GABA is recognized as the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter in the somatic neuromuscular system of nematodes. It was later discovered that glutamate-gated Cl− channels (GUCl−) that were the target of ivermectin and related drugs. This discovery created a new realm of possibilities to research because these channels are not accessible in vertebrates. Ivermectin, while paralyzing body-wall and pharyngeal muscle in nematodes, has no such impact in mammals. Research shows that Ivermectin has continually proved to be astonishingly safe for human use with zero or minimal side effects. Public health specialists worldwide are now calling for greater and more extensive use of ivermectin, labelling Mass Drug Administration (MDA) programs of ivermectin as an “underutilized public health strategy” of the ‘Wonder Drug’.