Cancer continues to be one of the most of dreaded diseases. Despite years of research, there is no single cure for this condition, although there has been tremendous advancement in treatment approaches.
In a recent conversation on comedian Joe Rogan’s podcast, Gibson made a claim that two of his friends, diagnosed with stage four cancer, were cured with anti-parasitic medicines.
According to the Braveheart star, his friends experienced remarkable recoveries after using ivermectin and fenbendazole which are commonly prescribed to treat parasitic infections like roundworms and threadworms.
Gibson even claimed that all three friends who tried these medications “don’t have cancer right now.” He emphatically added, “This stuff works, man.” While these claims have sparked interest, experts urge caution, as scientific evidence supporting the use of these drugs for cancer treatment remains in its infancy.
Although there have been preliminary studies hinting at potential benefits, doctors and health experts warn of potential risks. Some studies have found that Iivermectin, when combined with other therapies, has been found to shrink tumors in early research, though such findings are yet to be validated by larger clinical trials. Similarly, fenbendazole has shown promise in laboratory studies by halting the growth of certain aggressive cancer cells. Both these drug also have side-effects that can potentially harm the patients.
Consequently, health experts also caution that abandoning conventional cancer treatments in favor of experimental therapies could lead to serious complications.
Dr Jyoti Bajpai, Lead Precision & Medical Oncology (Mumbai & Maharashtra Region),Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai told Financial Express.com that drug repurposing is not a new concept; it has been practiced for some time, particularly in oncology.
“There are a couple of drugs originally used for different purposes that were later repurposed once further evidence was discovered. Drug repurposing is not new. If we find some commonly used drugs that have mechanisms which can be exploited for cancer control, we always try to experiment with those drugs, but generally within clinical trial settings. In vitro data suggests that anti-parasitic drugs have certain mechanisms of action which may be utilized as anti-cancer drugs. However, the data at this point is quite limited,” Dr. Bajpai said.
Generally, when we find any evidence of a drug’s activity from in vitro data, we move to mouse models, animal models, and then early clinical phase trials. Later, when phase three trials are conducted and we confirm solid evidence of both activity and safety, only then does the drug enter the market, she highlighted.
“I would like to emphasize that these drugs are far from reaching that milestone. Currently, there are signals indicating that they may be effective, but based on the data available, we cannot claim that these drugs are ready for use in clinics. At present, they should only be used within clinical trial settings. Often, what looks promising in vitro may not necessarily translate into successful bench-to-bedside conversion; in fact, this is the case in most situations. We should be cautious against raising high hopes,” she informed.
It is essential to note that these drugs should not be used in isolation, as that is certainly not advisable. Even when definite drugs are available, these alternatives cannot currently be substituted for them. The data suggests that they should be limited to clinical trial settings, Dr. Bajpai said.
“Excessive enthusiasm can sometimes be harmful for desperate patients and communities. Hence, I want to share this word of caution with the audience and everyone reading this,” she added.