![[aggregator] downloaded image for imported item #78438](https://newsview.top/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/joe-rogan-mel-gibson-1-1024x576.jpg "Joe Rogan podcast appearance tied to rise in demand for alternative cancer treatment")
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Prescriptions for an antiparasitic drug spiked forcancer patientsafter a celebrity endorsed the medication during a recent episode of Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Ivermectin–benzimidazole, a combination of antiparasitic medications, was touted as an off-label cancer treatment during actor Mel Gibson’sJanuary 2025 appearance.
Gibson spoke about three of his friends who had stage 4 cancer, noting that “all three of them don’t have cancer right now at all.”
When Rogan asked what treatments they used, Gibson replied, “Ivermectin, fenbendazole.”
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Ivermectin is an antiparasitic medication used in humans and animals totreat infectionscaused by certain worms and parasites.
Joe Rogan and Mel Gibson(Getty Images)
Fenbendazole, a veterinary antiparasitic drug used to treat worms in animals, belongs to the benzimidazole class of medications, according to medical sources.
“I don’t believe that there is anything that can afflict mankind that hasn’t got a natural cure for it,” Gibson added.
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Researchers from the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, UCLA and the University of Michigan analyzed thehealth recordsof over 68 million patients in ambulatory care settings.
They checked for increases in same-day prescribing of ivermectin, plus a benzimidazole — albendazole, fenbendazole, mebendazole or thiabendazole — with the goal of determining whether Gibson’s endorsement resulted in a spike.
Gibson spoke about three of his friends who had Stage 4 cancer, noting “all three of them don’t have cancer right now at all.” When Rogan asked what treatments they used, Gibson replied, “ivermectin, fenbendazole.”(Chris Pizzello)
After the episode, which was viewed 60 million times in the month after airing, overall prescribing rates nearly doubled, rising 2½ times amongcancer patients.
Among those patients, larger increases were seen in men, White patients, people 18-64 and those who lived in southern states, the researchers found.
“I don’t believe that there is anything that can afflict mankind that hasn’t got a natural cure for it.”
The study, published in JAMA Network Open Tuesday, did not measure any safety outcomes of the drug combination.
Noclinical trialshave supported the safety or effectiveness of ivermectin–benzimidazole for treating cancer, experts noted.
No clinical trials have supported the safety or effectiveness of ivermectin–benzimidazole for treating cancer, experts noted.((AP Photo/Mike Stewart))
“Clinicians talk about how difficult it is when the patient demands or asks for a medication that they really feel passionately might help,” lead author Michelle Rockwell, a health services researcher at Virginia Tech, said in a press release.“And that’s where I think thesecelebrity influencersreally play a big role.”
promote anti-cancer activity, the required dose for even a small effect would “typically be considered toxic for humans,” according to Dr.Skyler B.Johnson of the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute.
cancer treatmentsand other medications.
Patients should consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical guidance before making treatment decisions, doctors say.(iStock)
The study did have some limitations, including that it was observational in design and could not prove that Gibson’s appearance led to theincrease in prescriptions.Also, the fact that prescriptions were ordered does not necessarily mean that they were filled or used.
onelink.me/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.
It is also possible some patients sought out ivermectin without a prescription, perhaps from agricultural retailers who sell it for livestock.
There is also the potential that cancer status was misclassified, the researchers noted.
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The study also did not assess whether patients were taking ivermectin alongsideconventional treatmentor if they used it as a substitute.
Patients should consult a qualifiedhealthcare professionalfor medical guidance before making treatment decisions, doctors say.
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