Scabicide Soap 75 gm

Direction: Rub gently to produce leather, leave for 5 minutes and then wash thoroughly. Avoid contact with syse. Daily bath once or twice a day. 759 SCABICIDE Freedom from Scabies For the use of Registered Medical Practitioner or a Hospital or a Laboratory

History of Permethrin (the active in Scabicide Soap)

Invention of Permethrin

Permethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid. Pyrethroids are modeled after natural pyrethrins, which come from chrysanthemum flowers.

In the early 1970s, a chemist named Michael Elliott (at Rothamsted Experimental Station in the UK) and his team synthesized permethrin — they created a version that was photostable (i.e., more stable in air/light) and very effective against insects.

The first patent work for permethrin was around 1972, and the molecule was first reported in Nature in 1973.

According to regulatory/occupational sources, permethrin was first marketed in 1977.

Use of Permethrin in Scabies Treatment

Permethrin’s insecticidal properties (ability to paralyze or kill mites) made it attractive for medical use, not just agricultural.

The first documented community-level use (mass treatment) of 5% permethrin cream to control scabies was in an island community (the “Kuna Indians” in the San Blas islands of Panama). A study found that prevalence dropped dramatically when permethrin cream was used.

Over time, permethrin has become one of the first-line treatments for scabies, especially because of its effectiveness and relative safety.

Clinical trials: For example, a randomized study compared 5% permethrin cream vs. lindane (an older scabicide) and found permethrin had a much higher cure rate.

More recent studies: There have been variations in how permethrin is applied (e.g., once, twice) and the intervals, to improve outcomes.