Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum antihelmintic medication (medication that kills parasites) primarily used in veterinary medicine to treat animal gastrointestinal parasites. It belongs to a class of medications called benzimidazoles. It has no FDA or EMA approval for use in humans. But in February 2023, an unlicensed veterinarian published videos on Facebook and TikTok that claimed he had cured cancer by using fenbendazole, also known as Panacur.
The vet’s claim was based on his personal experience and was not supported by peer-reviewed scientific research.
However, other researchers have begun to explore whether the anthelmintic may help treat human cancers. The most promising results so far have come from studies of the drug’s effect on cell growth.
In the laboratory, fenbendazole inhibited the growth of cancer cells in culture and prevented them from spreading to other tissues. It does this by blocking glucose uptake, which malignant cells use for energy. It also interferes with the formation of microtubules, which helps cancer cells grow and divide.
Scientists also found that fenbendazole prevents chemoresistance in cancer cells. This is a common way that tumors resist treatment by expelling drugs from the cell through special pumps called P-glycoproteins. Because fenbendazole is not a compound that can be excreted, it stays inside the cell longer and may have lasting effects against cancer cells.
When fenbendazole was given to mice with lung cancer, it reduced tumour size and caused apoptosis. Researchers believe fenbendazole is more effective than single-target therapies because it affects multiple biological pathways and evades resistance mechanisms.fenbendazole for humans