Mel Gibson's Joe Rogan spot spiked cancer ivermectin prescriptions

Key Points:

• Prescriptions for the antiparasitic drug combination ivermectin–benzimidazole surged among cancer patients after actor Mel Gibson endorsed the treatment on Joe Rogan’s podcast, citing friends who reportedly beat stage 4 cancer using these drugs.
• Researchers analyzed over 68 million patient records and found that overall prescribing rates nearly doubled, with a 2.5-fold increase specifically among cancer patients, particularly men, White individuals, those aged 18-64, and residents of southern U.S. states.
• No clinical trials have validated the safety or effectiveness of ivermectin–benzimidazole for cancer treatment, and experts warn that the doses needed for any anti-cancer effect could be toxic to humans.
• The study, published in JAMA Network Open, was observational and could not definitively link Gibson’s endorsement to the prescription spike; it also did not assess whether patients used the drugs alongside or instead of conventional cancer therapies.
• Researchers and clinicians express concern about celebrity influence on patient demand for unproven treatments, emphasizing the risks of self-medication and the lack of evidence supporting ivermectin–benzimidazole as a cancer therapy.