A new study reveals that prescriptions for an antiparasitic drug combination skyrocketed after actor Mel Gibson endorsed it as a cancer treatment on Joe Rogan's podcast.
During a January 2025 episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Gibson claimed that three of his friends with stage 4 cancer had been cured using ivermectin and fenbendazole. The episode garnered 60 million views in its first month.
Researchers from Virginia Tech, UCLA, and the University of Michigan analyzed health records of over 68 million patients. They found that overall prescribing rates for ivermectin-benzimidazole nearly doubled following the podcast, with a 2.5-fold increase among cancer patients. Larger increases were seen in men, White patients, people aged 18-64, and those living in southern states.
Published in JAMA Network Open, the study did not measure safety outcomes. Experts emphasize that no clinical trials have supported the safety or effectiveness of this drug combination for treating cancer. Lead author Michelle Rockwell noted the difficulty clinicians face when patients demand medications endorsed by celebrity influencers.
Dr. Skyler B. Johnson of the University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute warned that while some lab studies suggest anti-cancer activity, the required dose would likely be toxic to humans and could interfere with conventional cancer treatments. The study's limitations include its observational design and the possibility that some patients obtained ivermectin without a prescription.
Doctors urge patients to consult qualified healthcare professionals before making any treatment decisions.