Ivermectin (, EYE-vər-MEK-tin) is an antiparasitic drug. After its discovery in 1975, its first uses were in veterinary medicine to prevent and treat heartworm and acariasis. Approved for human use in 1987, today it is used to treat infestations including head lice, scabies, river blindness (onchocerciasis), strongyloidiasis, trichuriasis, ascariasis and lymphatic filariasis. It works through many mechanisms to kill the targeted parasites, and can be taken orally, or applied to the skin for external infestations. It belongs to the avermectin family of medications.William Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for its discovery and applications. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines, and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as an antiparasitic agent. In 2018, it was the 420th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 100,000 prescriptions. It is available as a generic medicine.During the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation has been widely spread claiming that ivermectin is beneficial for treating and preventing COVID-19. Such claims are not backed by credible scientific evidence. Multiple major health organizations, including the Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the European Medicines Agency, and the World Health Organization have stated that ivermectin is not authorized or approved to treat COVID-19. Medical uses
Ivermectin is used to treat human diseases caused by roundworms and ectoparasites.
Reteplase, trade names include Retavase, is a thrombolytic drug, used to treat heart attacks by breaking up the clots that cause them. Reteplase is a recombinant non-glycosylated form of human tissue plasminogen activator, which has been modified to contain 357 of the 527 amino acids of the original protein. It is produced in the bacterium Escherichia coli. Reteplase was approved for use in 1996.Reteplase is similar to recombinant human tissue plasminogen activator (alteplase), but the modifications give reteplase a longer half-life of 13–16 minutes. Reteplase also binds fibrin with lower affinity than alteplase, improving its ability to penetrate into clots. As reteplase  is able to penetrate inside the thrombi, an enhanced fibrinolytic activity will be achieved → rapid reperfusion → low incidence of bleeding. == References ==