Florida Set to Lead with Over-the-Counter Ivermectin: Gov. DeSantis Poised to Sign Groundbreaking Bill

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In a recent announcement, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expressed his intention to advocate for the state legislature to approve a bill regarding the use of ivermectin. DeSantis has indicated his readiness to sign the legislation once it passes.

The governor made this declaration through a social media post, responding to inquiries about the availability of ivermectin in Florida. The drug, primarily used to treat parasitic worm infections, has been a topic of public interest.

Meanwhile, Republican State Representative Jeff Holcomb recently decided to withdraw his proposed bill, which aimed to make ivermectin tablets accessible over the counter. However, he assured constituents that the initiative is not abandoned.

According to Holcomb’s office, the proposed measures will be integrated into another piece of legislation. Holcomb plans to provide further details on his ongoing efforts once this new bill is officially introduced.

Ivermectin first gained wide notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the FDA has still not authorized or approved the drug to treat or prevent COVID-19. Following the pandemic, doctors have been getting questions on whether the tablets could help cancer patients after a guest on a podcast claimed they help.

Dr. Binay Shah is an oncologist who has recently found that more than 90% of doctors he surveyed have had patients asking about ivermectin as treatment for cancer.

“On ivermectin and cancer, no publication suggests that ivermectin is effective in improving survival in patients,” Shah said.

In that survey, 22 doctors didn’t recommend its use for cancer, and eight others stated there’s not enough evidence to make a recommendation.

While in Tampa last month, Florida’s first lady, Casey DeSantis, said the state is open to helping fund more research.

“We should look at it. We should look at the benefits of it. We should not just speculate and guess. We should, as the state of Florida, with over a billion dollars in funding since Ron DeSantis took office for cancer, we should be looking into things in generic form,” she said.

The funding will come from the $60 million available in the Florida Cancer Innovation Fund.