Home / Health / Actor's Claim Sparks Drug Prescription Surge
Actor's Claim Sparks Drug Prescription Surge
12 May
Summary
- Prescriptions for antiparasitic drugs increased after actor's claim.
- No high-quality evidence supports these drugs for cancer treatment.
- Oncologists worry patients may delay effective therapies.
Following a popular actor's assertion that antiparasitic drugs cured his friends of advanced cancer, prescriptions for ivermectin and fenbendazole experienced a notable increase. The actor made these claims on a widely viewed podcast episode in January 2025, stating his friends were free of cancer after using these medications.
However, medical professionals emphasize there is no robust evidence supporting ivermectin's benefit for cancer patients, and fenbendazole is not approved for human consumption. A study published in JAMA Network Open revealed a significant rise in prescriptions, particularly among men and white patients, and most pronounced in cancer patients, more than doubling in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the previous year.
This trend highlights the influence of online information sources, including podcasts and social media, on health decisions. Oncologists express concern that vulnerable cancer patients, facing fear and uncertainty, may be drawn to anecdotal claims of cures, potentially delaying or foregoing effective, evidence-based therapies. This can lead to worsened prognoses or patients becoming too ill for treatment.
