$130 Million Spent on Off-Label Ivermectin Use

The JAMA Network published a Research Letter on January 13, 2022, finding $129,673,240 may have been spent on Ivermectin prescriptions over a 12-month period.

This finding suggests that U.S. insurers heavily subsidized the costs of Ivermectin prescriptions for COVID-19, even though economic theory holds that insurers should not cover ineffective care.

The U.S. FDA approved Ivermectin tablets to treat people with intestinal strongyloidiasis and onchocerciasis, two conditions caused by parasitic worms.

But not for treating COVID-19.

Wasteful insurer spending on these prescriptions, estimated at $2.5 million in the week of August 13, 2021, would extrapolate to $129.7 million annually.

Among Ivermectin prescriptions reviewed, the patients were about 52 years of age.

The true amount of waste is even higher because estimates did not include Medicaid spending.

Moreover, by reducing barriers to a drug that some individuals use as a substitute for COVID-19 vaccination or other evidence-based care, insurance coverage could increase spending for COVID-19 complications.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently that in 2020, countries endemic for onchocerciasis continued to make progress in interrupting transmission of the disease.

"Despite pandemic challenges, health workers managed to deliver ivermectin treatment to more than 112 million people," stated Dr. Daniel Argaw Dagne, Unit head, Prevention, Treatment and Care, WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, in a statement issued on November 26, 2021. 

"In current circumstances, this is a remarkable achievement."

The U.S. NIH says 'several clinical trials that are evaluating the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19 are currently underway or in development. Please see ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest information.'

Study Corresponding Author: Kao-Ping Chua, MD, Ph.D., University of Michigan Medical School, [email protected].