Milbemycin kills parasites, so is used for the prevention and control of heartworm and intestinal worms, and can be found in treatments prescribed for animals such as dogs, cats, horses, cattle andsheep. Application methods for moxidectin vary by treatment, and include oral, topical, and injectable solutions. Cydectin Pour On is a trade name for a formulation for use on cattle and red deer.

Moxidectin is a semisynthetic derivative of nemadectin which is produced by fermentation by Streptomyces cyano-griseus. This Streptomyces species was discovered in a soil sample from Australia in the late 1980s collected by an agronomist working for the American Cyanamid company.

Moxidectin treats and controls some of the most common internal and external parasites by selectively binding to parasites’ glutamate-gated chloride ion channels. These channels are vital to the function of invertebrate nerveand muscle cells; when moxidectin binds to the channels, it disrupts neurotransmission, resulting in paralysisand death of the parasite.