Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to license Ivermectin in tablet form for older children and adults, in line with World Health Organisation guidelines for essential drugs.

At present, only one ivermectin-containing product is approved in the United Kingdom (Soolantra 10 mg/g cream) but this is not indicated in the treatment of scabies in tablet form. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are aware that Stromectol 3mg tablets, containing ivermectin, are approved in France and are used for the treatment of scabies but this is not licensed in the UK.

In order for the MHRA to approve a medicine for use in the UK, a manufacturer has to apply to obtain a marketing authorisation. The MHRA makes its decision to approve a licence for a product based on safety, quality and efficacy criteria, irrespective of the cost. Thus far, the MHRA has not received any application for tablets of ivermectin.