Heightmaxxing trend has teens taking cancer drug erdafitinib for height

Key Points:

• Medical experts are warning about a new social media trend called "heightmaxxing," where teenagers, mainly boys, are taking the cancer drug erdafitinib from black markets in an attempt to grow taller.
• Erdafitinib is approved to treat advanced bladder cancer and is not authorized for height enhancement; its use in adolescents can cause severe side effects including vision damage, metabolic issues, and skeletal complications.
• Studies have noted unexpected growth spurts in some pediatric patients treated with erdafitinib, but doctors emphasize this growth is not healthy and can lead to permanent bone damage and fractures.
• Physicians caution that height is largely genetic, and once growth plates close after puberty, medications cannot reopen them, making the drug use both ineffective for height increase and dangerous.
• Medical professionals urge parents to monitor for signs of drug misuse, discourage unsupervised medication use, and recommend that any growth concerns be addressed through pediatricians rather than online forums.