In this study, we also noted that ivermectin drastically induced apoptosis in both tested ESCC cells based on the following facts: (a) Ivermectin treatment resulted in increased proportions of annexin V binding cells in a concentration‐ and time‐dependent fashion; (b) Specific activation of Caspase‐3 and PAPP were observed upon ivermectin treatment; (c) The levels of pro‐survival proteins including XIAP, Survivin, Bcl‐2, Bcl‐xL and Mcl‐1 were down‐regulated, while the pro‐apoptotic protein Bax was up‐regulated in ivermectin‐treated ESCC cells. The gene discussed is BCL2; the disease is esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.