Fenbendazole for Humans

Fenbendazole is an antiparasitic drug used to treat various parasites and worms (roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and some tapeworms) in animals. It’s also commonly sold as a dog dewormer, under brand names such as Pancur and Safe-Guard. While fenbendazole hasn’t been tested on humans, it is thought to be well-tolerated and has shown promise in cancer treatments.

Social media platforms are an excellent vehicle to disseminate medical information, but nonmedical individuals may be unable to select and filter complex scientific facts. We present the case of a patient with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who self-administered oral fenbendazole, an anthelmintic that is also marketed as a tapeworm treatment for dogs, on the basis of social media reports claiming to be effective against cancer. This resulted in a severe liver injury and necessitated discontinuation of her pembrolizumab monotherapy.

Benzimidazole compounds like fenbendazole bind to b-tubulin microtubule subunits and inhibit their polymerization. This mechanism of action is similar to that of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents such as vinca alkaloids and taxanes. We show that fenbendazole also induces mitotic catastrophe and cell death by upregulating p21 expression in colorectal cancer cells.

In addition, fenbendazole stimulates tumor regression in a variety of cancer types and is compatible with conventional cancer therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy. We are now attempting to repurpose this common medication and test it in high-quality placebo-controlled studies. This could be an important advancement in cancer research, as it would allow physicians to deliver a promising treatment method that is affordable and readily available for patients.fenbendazole for humans