America's Frontline Doctors Want Over-the-Counter Ivermectin

Dr. Simone Gold and America’s Frontline Doctors (AFLDS) filed two formal Citizen Petitions with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month, calling for hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and ivermectin to be reclassified as over-the-counter (OTC) medications.

The effort aims to expand public access to these drugs, which AFLDS describes as “FDA-approved, safe, and life-saving.”

Going Dr. Gold were eight co-petitioners, including prominent physicians Dr. Pierre Kory and Dr. Brian Tyson.

“The fight to make hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin over-the-counter continues,” Dr. Gold said in a statement. “The mainstream narrative has collapsed under the weight of its own deception… Breaking down the barrier to hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin will save lives.”

Both drugs have long-standing FDA approval for other uses. HCQ has been used for malaria, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, and ivermectin is known for treating parasitic infections, resulting in its discoverers receiving the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015.

AFLDS argues that their safety profiles are well-established and that denying patients access during the COVID-19 pandemic was a harmful misstep driven by pharmaceutical interests. “Profits are being prioritized over cheaper alternatives,” Dr. Gold commented. “This isn’t just about COVID. It’s about prioritizing patient access over Big Pharma’s profits.”

Dr. Geoff Mitchell, who joined AFLDS, echoed this criticism in a statement after the submission of the petitions, stating, “The FDA led the charge against these treatment alternatives… They were effectively banned to enable the release of the COVID vaccine via Emergency Use Authorization.”

The petitions revive a similar 2020 effort by AFLDS to reclassify HCQ. With support from grassroots medical freedom groups and ongoing public demand, AFLDS hopes the FDA will now reconsider.

“The fight for medical freedom isn’t over,” Dr. Gold declared. “We are calling on the FDA to take critical action now.”

News of the petitions comes after a group of 20 Texas Republican lawmakers called on Governor Greg Abbott (R) to include the reclassification of ivermectin as an over-the-counter medication in the upcoming special legislative session on July 21^st. The governor has not yet responded to the call.