Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the vast majority of Americans – regardless of their ideological leanings – simply trusted the medical establishment. That trust was devastated by the experience of the pandemic. According to polling, in April 2020 – at the outbreak of the pandemic – 71.5 percent of respondents reported having “a lot of trust” in physicians and hospitals. By January 2024, that number had plummeted to 40.1 percent.
This loss of faith, while certainly understandable, is untenable. Trust is at the core of the doctor-patient relationship. Patients must be able to rely on the medical advice that they are given by doctors and medical professionals.
Unfortunately, trust in our healthcare system and its institutions has been undermined by a belief that decisions are being made – not based on what is in the best interest of Americans' healthcare – but what is in the best interest of corporate bottom lines.
To restore faith in our system, we need research and treatment that is focused on the patient’s health – not just profit.
That is exactly why I co-authored a recent study, along with a number of my colleagues – a first-of-its-kind human observational study of the application of ivermectin+mebendazole in the treatment of cancer.
In addition to myself, the manuscript was authored by Nicolas Hulscher, MPH, Kelly Victory, MD, Drew Pinsky, MD, James Thorp, MD, Alex Diaz, MD, Peter Gillooly, MSc, and Harvey Risch, MD, PhD.
In this human observational analysis, off-label use of ivermectin+mebendazole showed a remarkable 84 percent Clinical Benefit Ratio in the treatment of cancer. These results indicate that the inexpensive and safe off-label applications of these medications could be an important breakthrough in the treatment of cancer.
The report analyzed 197 cancer patients who were prescribed ivermectin and mebendazole off-label. Participants received compounded oral capsules containing 25 mg of ivermectin and 250 mg of mebendazole. After six months, participants reported an 84 percent Clinical Benefit Ratio. With 48 percent of participants reporting regression or no evidence of cancer, while 36 percent reported disease stability. Only 15.6 percent of participants reported disease progression.
In this prospective real-world cohort, the combination of ivermectin and mebendazole was associated with high rates of self-reported clinical benefit. These findings provide a compelling clinical signal that these well-tolerated, repurposed agents may offer therapeutic benefit.
This study is historic because when it comes to research regarding ivermectin, as well as other off-label drugs, clinical research has been lacking. For far too long, patients have been forced to turn to social media "experts" for medical advice because the medical establishment has been unwilling to spearhead research like this. The American people, particularly when treating devastating illnesses like cancer, deserve answers supported by real-world data, not to be forced to turn to social media, influencers, and the internet.
Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death globally, with conventional treatments such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted agents frequently limited by significant toxicity, high cost, development of resistance, and variable long-term efficacy.
In this context, drug repurposing has gained substantial attention as a strategy to rapidly identify effective and affordable therapeutic options using medications with good patient tolerance and well-established safety profiles. This approach offers a practical pathway to accelerate the development of new cancer therapies or accompaniments of therapies while leveraging decades of existing safety data.
We undertook this study because ivermectin and mebendazole separately have demonstrated highly promising anti-cancer activity in preclinical models and in limited human studies. But despite compelling preclinical data and documented safe use in cancer patients, robust clinical evidence evaluating the ivermectin–mebendazole combination in oncology remains limited, which is why this analysis was conducted to assess real-world self-reported cancer outcomes, medication adherence, tolerability, and patient experience among individuals prescribed ivermectin and mebendazole.
This study reveals an exciting new potential that should expand the consideration of ivermectin and mebendazole for inclusion in the treatment of multiple cancer types. We urgently need a full-fledged scientific investigation into this class of medications and their impact on cancer treatment. Large-scale, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials should be initiated by the National Cancer Institute and similar organizations around the world.
The American people deserve a healthcare system that they can trust. One that puts a premium on improved health outcomes, not on corporate profits. If we are going to restore confidence in the medical establishment, we need more studies like this.
Dr. Peter A. McCullough serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at The Wellness Company.