Fenbendazole (Panacur, Safe-Guard) is an antiparasitic medication that debuted in scientific trials as a potential cancer treatment some years ago. It has never made it into clinical use, but it’s caught the attention of researchers working on pancreatic cancer because early research suggests it can inhibit cancer cells’ growth and spread.
Several studies explore another drug in the same class of anthelmintic medications, mebendazole, for its potential anticancer effects. It has yet to become an approved medicine but it may lead the way for fenbendazole in humans.
Scientists believe fenbendazole works in part by blocking the cell cycle, which prevents the growth of new cells. It also restricts glucose uptake in cancer cells, which starves them of a key energy source. It also appears to trigger the apoptosis of cancer cells and activates the tumor suppressor p53 gene.
A major reason that many cancer drugs fail to work in humans is that cancer cells develop resistance by evading the actions of the drug. Malignant cells often have special pumps, known as P-glycoproteins, that eject drugs from the cell before they can exert their effects. Fenbendazole doesn’t seem to be targeted by these pumps and therefore retains its potency long-term.
Joe Tippens, who had small cell lung cancer, was given only months to live when he started taking fenbendazole with CBD oil and curcumin in 2017. His story, which inspired many others to try the dog dewormer for their cancer, sparked interest in exploring fenbendazole as a human cancer treatment. fenbendazole for humans