Expand / Collapse search
Watch TV
Menu

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ©2024 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Legal Statement. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper.

Children's Health

Prescription head lice lotion gets approval for over-the-counter use

Up to 12 million cases of head lice are reported in children ages 3 to 11 each year

By Alexandria Hein Fox News
Published
close
Fox News Flash top headlines for October 27 Video

Fox News Flash top headlines for October 27

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

A head lice lotion that was initially approved by the FDA for prescription use will now be available over-the-counter.

The FDA approved Sklice lotion, with 0.5% ivermectin, for non-prescription use in patients 6 months and older after the company proved it was safe and effective when used as directed.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), up to 12 million cases of head lice are reported in children ages 3 to 11 each year. They infect the head and neck area and attach their eggs to the base of the hair shaft. It’s most commonly spread by close person-to-person contact, as lice cannot hop or fly.

ABOUT 800,000 KIDS HAVE CONTRACTED CORONAVIRUS IN US

While they are found worldwide, in the U.S., it’s most common for an infestation to occur in children attending day care, elementary school and within the household of said children. Symptoms include tickling, or the feeling of something moving in the hair, along with itching, irritability and difficulty sleeping, and sores on the head caused by scratching.

The FDA approved Sklice lotion, with 0.5% ivermectin, for non-prescription use in patients 6 months and older after the company proved it was safe and effective when used as directed. (iStock)

YOUTUBE INFLUENCERS FEEDING KIDS UNHEALTHY DIET HABITS: STUDY

“The Rx-to-OTC switch process aims to promote public health by increasing consumer access to drugs that would otherwise only be available by prescription,” Theresa Michele, M.D., acting director of the Office of Nonprescription Drugs in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a press release on Tuesday. “Today’s approval expands access to another effective topical treatment for the thousands of people with head lice.  

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Sklice, which first earned FDA prescription approval in 2012, joins two other over-the-counter options for treating head lice. It’s a single-use lotion meant for topical treatment.