Finding medication: River Blindness, ivermectin and beyond

Academy Discourse by Professor William C. Campbell, Hon. MRIA is the third in the series sponsored by Mason Hayes & Curran. Ivermectin is a medication used in the treatment and control of parasitic diseases. In veterinary medicine, it is widely used in livestock and pets. It has several applications in human medicine, and has been notably successful in the prevention of River Blindness in the tropics. The discovery of ivermectin required innovation, yet rested on simple empirical science. It was a process from which lessons could be learned . . . but will they?