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Prescriptions for Ivermectin and Fenbendazole Rose Sharply Among Cancer Patients After Podcast Discussion
A study found prescriptions for ivermectin and fenbendazole among cancer patients increased more than 2.5 times in the months after actor-director Mel Gibson discussed the drugs on a January 2025 podcast episode. The combination saw the largest increases among young men, white patients and those in the South.
May 13, 10:27 AM·2m read1 source
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Prescriptions for ivermectin and fenbendazole among cancer patients rose more than 2.5 times following a January 2025 podcast episode in which actor-director Mel Gibson said three friends with Stage 4 cancer no longer had the disease after taking the drugs off-label.
The episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, which received more than 60 million views in its first month, featured Gibson stating the three friends were cured "at all" by the regimen. Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug that gained attention during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fenbendazole is a veterinary dewormer not approved by the FDA for human use. In the months after the January 9, 2025 appearance, prescription rates for the combination jumped. The increases were highest among young men, white patients and those in the South, where rates rose to more than three times 2024 levels.
The study was led by researchers from UCLA and Virginia Tech.
Laboratory cell and animal studies have shown some anti-cancer activity for both drugs. However, the doses needed for even modest effects would typically be considered toxic in humans, according to Dr. Skyler B. Johnson of the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute.
No human clinical trials have demonstrated that ivermectin and fenbendazole are safe or effective for treating cancer. Dr. John N. Mafi, senior author of the UCLA-led study, said in a press release that he wants patients to receive treatments known to help them live longer.
He added that the more than doubling in prescriptions for an unproven cancer treatment after one podcast raises concern that patients may be skipping or delaying therapies with established effectiveness. Dr. Katherine Kahn, a professor of medicine at UCLA and co-author, stated that not all widely shared health information is accurate, even from familiar or influential sources.
