{"entity":{"id":"fenbendazole-ivermectin-repurposing-claims","kind":"technology","name":"Fenbendazole, ivermectin and other internet 'repurposed cures'","aka":[],"tldr":"Dog dewormers and anti-parasite drugs are promoted on social media as hidden cancer cures on the strength of cell-culture experiments and anecdotes. No clinical trial shows benefit in people, liver damage has been reported, and drug repurposing is real but works through trials, not forums.","summary":"Fenbendazole (a veterinary benzimidazole) and ivermectin inhibit microtubules or other pathways in cancer cell lines and animal models, as do the majority of compounds that show activity in a dish and never become drugs. A widely shared 2016 personal story of a lung cancer patient who took fenbendazole alongside a clinical trial drug and immunotherapy drove global demand, and ivermectin claims followed the pandemic. There are no completed clinical trials of either in cancer showing benefit; case reports describe severe liver injury with fenbendazole, and interactions with chemotherapy are unstudied. Legitimate repurposing candidates with some clinical evidence (aspirin, metformin, statins, propranolol, mebendazole in early trials for glioma) go through registered trials and are discussed in the corpus separately. The MSK About Herbs database and cancer charities publish plain-language rebuttals; the underlying problem, that cheap generics attract no sponsor, is a real bottleneck.","status":"negative","asOf":"2026-09-10","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenbendazole","links":[{"label":"MSK About Herbs: Fenbendazole","url":"https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/fenbendazole"},{"label":"FDA: products claiming to 'cure' cancer are a cruel deception","url":"https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/products-claiming-cure-cancer-are-cruel-deception"}],"tags":["complementary","supportive-care","evidence:insufficient"],"related":["idea-moon-misinformation-rapid-response"],"cancers":[],"sections":["supportive-care","drug-discovery"],"technologies":["alternative-medicine-instead-of-treatment","integrative-oncology"],"targets":[],"drugs":[],"companies":[],"institutions":[],"pathways":[],"terms":[],"trials":[],"people":[],"bottlenecks":["b-misinformation","b-generic-repurposing"],"keyPapers":[],"journals":[],"dependsOn":[],"notes":[],"principle":"Microtubule disruption and other in-vitro effects at concentrations far above those achieved by veterinary or antiparasitic dosing in humans.","strengths":["Illustrates the need for public repurposing trials","Rebuttals are readily available"],"limitations":["No clinical efficacy data","Hepatotoxicity reports","Encourages abandoning proven treatment"]},"route":"/technologies/fenbendazole-ivermectin-repurposing-claims/","neighbours":{"idea":[{"id":"idea-moon-misinformation-rapid-response","kind":"idea","name":"A cancer misinformation rapid-response unit that rebuts within 48 hours","route":"/ideas/idea-moon-misinformation-rapid-response/"}],"section":[{"id":"drug-discovery","kind":"section","name":"Drug Discovery Platforms","route":"/fronts/drug-discovery/"},{"id":"supportive-care","kind":"section","name":"Supportive Care & Survivorship","route":"/fronts/supportive-care/"}],"technology":[{"id":"alternative-medicine-instead-of-treatment","kind":"technology","name":"Alternative medicine used instead of standard treatment","route":"/technologies/alternative-medicine-instead-of-treatment/"},{"id":"integrative-oncology","kind":"technology","name":"Evidence-based integrative oncology","route":"/technologies/integrative-oncology/"}],"bottleneck":[{"id":"b-misinformation","kind":"bottleneck","name":"Misinformation and unproven therapies","route":"/bottlenecks/b-misinformation/"},{"id":"b-generic-repurposing","kind":"bottleneck","name":"No incentive to repurpose cheap drugs","route":"/bottlenecks/b-generic-repurposing/"}],"drug":[{"id":"fenbendazole","kind":"drug","name":"Fenbendazole (veterinary anthelmintic)","route":"/drugs/fenbendazole/"},{"id":"ivermectin","kind":"drug","name":"Ivermectin","route":"/drugs/ivermectin/"},{"id":"mebendazole","kind":"drug","name":"Mebendazole","route":"/drugs/mebendazole/"}],"trial":[{"id":"nct02366884","kind":"trial","name":"Atavistic chemotherapy: combinations of antibacterial, antifungal and antiprotozoal drugs in advanced cancer (Arguello clinic, status unknown)","route":"/trials/nct02366884/"}],"paper":[{"id":"paper-guilford-antiparasitic-acupuncture-meridian-case-series-2026","kind":"paper","name":"Cancer therapy using antiparasitic medications guided by acupuncture meridian assessment: a case series of six patients","route":"/key-papers/paper-guilford-antiparasitic-acupuncture-meridian-case-series-2026/"},{"id":"paper-mujumdar-ivermectin-gynaecological-cancer-2025","kind":"paper","name":"Ivermectin and gynecologic cancer: what's the data?","route":"/key-papers/paper-mujumdar-ivermectin-gynaecological-cancer-2025/"},{"id":"paper-patel-ivermectin-cancer-curr-oncol-rep-2025","kind":"paper","name":"Ivermectin in cancer treatment: should healthcare providers caution or explore its therapeutic potential?","route":"/key-papers/paper-patel-ivermectin-cancer-curr-oncol-rep-2025/"},{"id":"paper-straughn-ivermectin-hope-versus-hype-2025","kind":"paper","name":"Ivermectin treatment for gynecologic cancers: hope versus hype","route":"/key-papers/paper-straughn-ivermectin-hope-versus-hype-2025/"},{"id":"paper-rockwell-ivermectin-benzimidazole-prescribing-jama-netw-open-2026","kind":"paper","name":"Ivermectin-benzimidazole prescribing following celebrity endorsement","route":"/key-papers/paper-rockwell-ivermectin-benzimidazole-prescribing-jama-netw-open-2026/"},{"id":"paper-cheng-melanoma-ctdna-antiparasitic-front-oncol-2026","kind":"paper","name":"Metastatic melanoma with initial ctDNA decline and radiographic response during self-directed antiparasitic use: treatment effect or spontaneous regression?","route":"/key-papers/paper-cheng-melanoma-ctdna-antiparasitic-front-oncol-2026/"},{"id":"paper-hulscher-ivermectin-mebendazole-cohort-anticancer-res-2026","kind":"paper","name":"Real-world clinical outcomes of ivermectin and mebendazole in cancer patients: results from a prospective observational cohort (with 2026 expression of concern)","route":"/key-papers/paper-hulscher-ivermectin-mebendazole-cohort-anticancer-res-2026/"},{"id":"paper-makis-fenbendazole-case-series-retracted-2025","kind":"paper","name":"RETRACTED: Fenbendazole as an anticancer agent? A case series of self-administration in three patients","route":"/key-papers/paper-makis-fenbendazole-case-series-retracted-2025/"},{"id":"paper-juarez-ivermectin-repositioned-cancer-drug-2018","kind":"paper","name":"The multitargeted drug ivermectin: from an antiparasitic agent to a repositioned cancer drug","route":"/key-papers/paper-juarez-ivermectin-repositioned-cancer-drug-2018/"}]}}