The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has agreed to take down social media posts and online materials cautioning against the use of ivermectin as a treatment for COVID-19, following a lawsuit filed by three doctors in 2022.
Initially dismissed, the case that was originally filed in 2022 received new life when the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals revived it and remanded it back to the lower court. Upon review, the lower court determined that only Dr. Mary Bowden, one of the original plaintiffs, had standing in the matter. Bowden emphasized that an article, titled “Why You Should Not Use Ivermectin to Treat or Prevent COVID-19,” failed to mention that doctors retained the legal authority to prescribe ivermectin despite the FDA's discouragement of its use.
The removed posts included one with the message “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it,” along with a link to an article discouraging the use of ivermectin for COVID-19 treatment.
The FDA has been given a three-week deadline to remove the material and social media posts from various platforms.
