Joe Rogan was stunned when Mel Gibson revealed the controversial way his friends treated his terminal cancers.
On the latest episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, Gibson said that three of his friends were diagnosed with stage four cancer and they were all having “some serious things going on.”
Gibson claimed they took ivermectin and fenbendazole, medications typically given to treat infections caused by roundworms, intestinal worms and other parasites.
The Lethal Weapon star then sensationally claimed that the three friends “do not have cancer at this time.”
“This works, man,” he added.
There is some preliminary evidence that using ivermectin in combination with other therapies may help shrink tumors, but that has not been confirmed by larger trials.
Some research has also suggested that fenbendazole, known by its brand names Panacur and Safe-Guard, stops the growth of cancer cells, even some of the most aggressive types.
Experts said that while early research is encouraging and side effects are minimal, both drugs need to be investigated further and should still be taken alongside standard care, such as chemotherapy.
Actor Mel Gibson, 69, left Joe Rogan shocked when he revealed that three of his friends with stage four cancer supposedly cured their illness with the anti-parasitic drugs ivermectin and fenbendazole.
Veteran podcaster Rogan agreed with Gibson, stating that “this works, which is strange because it doesn’t make a profit.”
Gibson said: “I don’t think there is anything that can affect humanity that doesn’t have a natural cure.” It just makes sense to me.
‘I couldn’t prove that, but I just believe it. There has to be something that cures things.
Referring to both drugs, Rogan added: “This does work, which is strange because it doesn’t make a profit.”
He also acknowledged that both drugs are controversial and suggested that health authorities may be pushing standard cancer treatments because they are more cost-effective.
Rogan added: “When you hear about things being demonized and being effective, you always wonder, ‘What’s going on here?’ How have our medical institutions failed us so that things that do cure you are not promoted because ‘Are they not profitable?’
Costs vary, although it is estimated to cost around $90 for 20 tablets without insurance.
TO study 2021 Researchers at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in California suggested that using ivermectin along with the anti-PD1 antibody could treat triple-negative breast cancer tumors in mice.
However, the researchers cautioned that it is unclear whether the same results can be replicated in humans and advised against taking ivermectin alone.
A City of Hope team also initiated clinical trials of ivermectin along with the immunotherapy drug pembrolizumab, which has been approved for breast, lung and endometrial cancer.
However, the trialfunded by the National Cancer Institute, was withdrawn. It is unclear why the investigation was stopped.
Dr. Susanne Arnold, associate director of clinical translation at the Markey Cancer Center in Kentucky, he told The Associated Press last year That while there have been preclinical studies exploring the use of ivermectin and similar drugs to slow the growth of cancer cells in laboratories, this is not the same as proving that the drugs work in humans.
She said: “I am not aware of any reports of clinical trials that have given successful results in humans with cancer.”
Ivermectin is an antiparasitic drug that is typically given to animals such as dogs and horses. However, influencers have promoted it as a miracle drug for Covid and cancer.
Ivermectin was first approved for animal use in 1981, although it would be three decades before it was promoted as a potential cancer treatment.
The first investigation dates back to 2014, with a swiss studio suggesting that ivermectin could stop the growth of some lung and colon tumors.
However, the study was conducted on cells and not human subjects.
Dr. Peter P Lee, author of the study and chair of the department of immuno-oncology at City of Hope, said at the time: “Certainly, on its own, ivermectin is neither a cure nor an effective treatment for breast cancer.”
‘I pride myself on being a rigorous and impartial scientist. And in our hands, after many years of experiments, it shows promise, but not on its own.’
Ivermectin has also been shown to be largely ineffective against Covid.
It became a hot political topic during the pandemic after Republican politicians, including President-elect Donald Trump, expressed support for using the drug against Covid.
In 2022, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) wrote on its website that it “recommends against the use of ivermectin for the treatment of COVID-19, except in clinical trials.”
A 2022 Malaysian study found that ivermectin did not prevent Covid patients from becoming seriously ill.
And New York City researchers suggested that Covid patients who improved with ivermectin may have had and been treated for the strongyloidiasis parasite.
However, the team found that the drug does not cause serious side effects in most cases, with the most commonly reported being itchy skin, vomiting, diarrhea and fatigue.
Ivermectin has been shown to interact with the anticoagulant warfarin, as ivermectin can alter clotting factors and cause increased bleeding.
Gibson also claims his friends took fenbendazole, which is primarily given to dogs to kill roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and certain animal tapeworms.
In 2021, a series of three case studies with advanced cancer found that all three patients’ tumors shrank after taking fedendazole. However, the authors stressed that more research is needed.
In recent years, several scientific articles have been published suggesting that fenbendazole has anticancer properties, including a review 2020 from Tennessee scientists, who found that the drug slowed the growth of lung cancer in some mice with the disease.
another study this year that reviewed six human cases in which tumors shrank after taking the drug concluded that fenbendazole “stands out” as a potential new cancer therapy.
However, other studies have shown significant risks.
The image above shows a package of fenbendazole for animals sold on Amazon.
Doctors in South Korea, which saw a surge in people taking the cancer-fighting drug in 2019, said it left some patients with intestinal necrosis, a serious medical condition in which part of the intestine dies.
In October this year, it was reported that a 45-year-old British man died of liver failure after taking the drug for its supposed anti-cancer properties.
Dr Jason Williams, who uses experimental treatments for cancer patients, previously told DailyMail.com: ‘Fenbendazole may be useful in specific contents, but it is a double-edged sword.
“In some cases, it could even promote cancer growth if not applied properly.
“Its use should be carefully tailored to each patient’s situation and closely monitored.”
Fenbendazole costs about $9 for a one-week supply and is available over the counter and online for dogs in liquid, powder, or paste form.
The drug is also not recommended for treating cancer in animals.