Prescriptions for controversial drug shot up 250% for cancer patients after Mel Gibson endorsement

You’ve heard of pseudoscience — but what about celebrity science?New research suggests a bombshell claim from Mel Gibson on influencer Joe Rogan’s popular podcast may have helped fuel a dramatic surge in prescriptions for an unproven cancer treatment.During the January 2025 episode, which racked up more than 60 million views in its first month, the actor-director claimed three friends with Stage 4 cancer were cured after taking the off-label regimen.

The controversial drugs at the center of the frenzy were ivermectin — an antiparasitic that became a flashpoint during the Covid-19 pandemic — and fenbendazole, a veterinary dewormer that isn’t FDA approved for humans.Gibson claimed all three of his friends no longer had the disease “at all” after taking the medications.

In the months after his remarks, prescriptions for the combination jumped, with the steepest increases among young men, white patients and those in the South.Among cancer patients, prescription rates were more than 2.5 times higher, while in the South they surged to more than three times their 2024 levels.But experts caution there is little clinical evidence to support the drugs for this use.In laboratory cell and animal studies, ivermectin and fenbendazole have shown some anti-cancer activity — but the doses required for even a modest effect would typically be considered toxic in humans, according to Dr.

Skyler B.Johnson of the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute.Johnson, who was not involved in the study, told CIDRAP News he is also concerned ivermectin could interfere with how the body processes cancer treatments and other medications.To date, no human clinical trials have shown that ivermectin and fenbendazole are safe or effective for treating cancer.The study’s authors sounded the alarm that following unproven advice could cost them their lives.“As a primary care doctor, I want my patients and people across the country to have the chance to get treatments we know...