"Ivermectin prescriptions skyrocketed in the six months after actor Mel Gibson claimed a version of the drug successfully treated three of his friends' cancer on influencer Joe Rogan's podcast, a new study found."
"Ivermectin, the development of which won two researchers part of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, is well proven for its safety and effectiveness in treating diseases caused by parasitic worms in people. But there is no clinical trial evidence to suggest that either drug can treat cancer in humans, and fenbendazole isn't approved for human use."
"Animal studies suggest ivermectin and benzimidazole, a class of drugs that includes fenbendazole, may have certain properties that could inhibit tumor growth, but this use is unproven. In February the National Cancer Institute said it was investigating ivermectin's ability to treat cancer, but the research is preclinical, meaning that whatever findings come of it still cannot be applied to patients without further studies."
"Nevertheless, after Gibson's endorsement, prescription rates for ivermectin and benzimidazole doubled from January 2025 to July 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, the study found. Prescriptions specifically for patients with cancer also rose precipitouslyrates were 2.5 times higher last July than they were in January 2025, compared with the same period in 2024."
Ivermectin prescriptions increased markedly in the six months after actor Mel Gibson claimed on a podcast that ivermectin and fenbendazole made three friends’ cancer disappear. Ivermectin is established as safe and effective for parasitic worm diseases in people, but there is no clinical trial evidence that ivermectin or fenbendazole can treat cancer in humans. Fenbendazole is not approved for human use. Animal studies suggest possible tumor-inhibiting properties for ivermectin and benzimidazole drugs, but this remains unproven. The National Cancer Institute is investigating ivermectin for cancer, but the work is preclinical and cannot guide patient treatment without further studies. After the endorsement, prescriptions for ivermectin and benzimidazole doubled from January 2025 to July 2025, and cancer-related prescriptions rose about 2.5 times.
Read at www.scientificamerican.com
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