Nenshi says he’s using ivermectin to treat a rare face disease

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi, who once mocked an Alberta government report that mentioned ivermectin as anti-science “quackery,” is now reportedly using the controversial drug.

Source: X

Author: Quinn Patrick

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi, who once mocked an Alberta government report that mentioned ivermectin as anti-science “quackery,” is now reportedly using the controversial drug to treat his “super rare condition” known as Morbihan syndrome.

While giving an interview about Alberta’s healthcare system on Tuesday, Nenshi was asked by a concerned listener about the “puffiness” in his face.

“This has been something that’s been going on for me for quite some time,” Nenshi said. “I will tell you that one of the, and we’re going through a lot of treatments trying to figure this out, and we’ll figure it out.”

He went on to say that “one of the treatments that has shown a bit of promise is ivermectin.”

“So there you go, folks, ivermectin actually does work for something,” Nenshi said.

His comments mark a different tone towards the medication, whose inventors won the Nobel Prize in 2015 for its massive impact in treating devastating parasitic diseases, such as river blindness and lymphatic filariasis.

However, when a 269-page report commissioned by the Alberta government and published last year recommended legislative changes to give doctors more freedom to prescribe alternative therapies such as ivermectin in the event of future pandemics, Nenshi called it “quackery.”

In January 2025, Nenshi told the media the report was “authoritarian” and told Canadians to “throw it in the trash.”

“Does (Danielle Smith) believe in this kooky stuff, or was she pandering to an audience?” he told CTV News at the time. “The review of this report is pretty straightforward: throw it in the trash.”

Nenshi did not immediately respond to Juno News’ request for comment.