@shortstories @toiletpaper @CapitalB This is a textbook example of "no true Scotsman". Ivermectin is the furthest thing from an herbal medicine, it's completely synthetic, yet 5 years ago you were called a quack if you even mentioned it. There are many things that are tested and shown to have some effect but widely ignored because they can't be patented and sold, so you have to go to an "alternative medicine" doctor to get them.
The truth is that medicine is one of the least scientifically verified fields because 80%+ of studies can't be verified, many of the drugs that have been verified were fraudulent (statins, for example), and when there's no money in a natural item it's poorly studied. Even then, when the company is not big and connected, it can get harassed by the feds even when they do cite scientific studies, like when the feds fined walnut sellers for making heart health claims while allowing junk food makers to say the same.
https://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2011/8/fda-says...