Several prominent COVID-19 vaccine opponents are touting a pet deworming medication called fenbendazole as a miracle cancer drug being suppressed by the FDA. One popular post falsely claims that the drug has proven effective against cancer but isn’t used because it is too cheap to make anyone rich. Another post compares the drug to the unproven COVID-19 treatment ivermectin, which has also been promoted as a cancer cure.
The high level of engagement with this false claim increases its risk. Debunking messaging may emphasize that while fenbendazole has shown some promise as a cancer treatment in preclinical animal studies, there is not sufficient evidence to suggest that it is effective in humans. There is also no evidence to suggest that the FDA and pharmaceutical companies are attempting to suppress fenbendazole or any potential cancer treatment.
