During a conversation hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Dr. Anthony Fauci spoke longingly of a pill that could beat COVID-19. “Give me that and I’ll be really happy,” he said.

Good news, Dr. Fauci: one already exists. It’s called ivermectin. Now if only health organizations would let doctors use it and the media would stop censoring those arguing its promise.

In clinical trials, this orally administered drug reduced transmission of the virus and prevented deaths among those infected with it. Ivermectin quickened their recovery time too. These results are drawn from numerous studies conducted across the world. I’ve carefully analyzed them with a team of physician-scientists and published meta-analyses. Digging into those numbers, our research shows a striking 65-75 percent reduction in mortality among COVID-19 patients treated with the drug.

It’s not only effective. Ivermectin, originally approved to fight parasitic infections in the early 1980s, has since gone off-patent. Generics are readily available. So it’s both safe and inexpensive.

And it’s already being put to use against COVID-19. Ivermectin is approved in Bulgaria and Slovakia. It’s also reducing deaths in parts of India, Mexico, Peru, and Bolivia among other nations.

Pharmaceutical companies like Merck have downplayed ivermectin’s potential. They, along with Pfizer, are developing their own COVID pills. Former government officials such as Dr. Scott Gottlieb are cheering them on in the search for a new patented oral therapy.

What’s clear though 20 months into this pandemic is that we must use every weapon at our disposal to stop the virus. Yes, we must follow the science. But that means actually reassessing and reconsidering treatment options as our understanding of COVID-19 continues to grow…