The Food and Drug Administration authorized a generic ivermectin injection for preventing New World screwworm infestations in cattle, and the agency's stated reason had less to do with the parasite than with who makes the drug. Bimectin injection is the fourteenth emergency use authorization issued against the flesh-eating fly since federal officials declared a potential public health emergency.
Timothy Schell, director of the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in the agency's announcement that the action reflects a commitment to expanding generic options. "By authorizing both generic and pioneer products," he said, the agency is making sure producers are not dependent on a single manufacturer or product to protect their herds.
