A new observational preprint report, the largest real-world analysis to date, tracked 197 cancer patients prescribed compounded ivermectin and mebendazole together by licensed U.S. physicians through The Wellness Company, finding an 84.4% clinical benefit ratio at 6-month follow-up. The report is available on Zenodo and has been submitted for peer review. Reviewers stress it is hypothesis-generating, not a randomized controlled trial.
What the Report Found
Of the 197 patients enrolled, 122 (61.9%) completed a 6-month follow-up on capsules containing 25 mg ivermectin and 250 mg mebendazole. Among that group:
- No current evidence of disease: 32.8%
- Tumor regression (shrinkage): 15.6%
- Disease stabilization (no progression): 36.1%
- Disease progression: 15.6%
- Overall Clinical Benefit Ratio: 84.4%
The clinical benefit ratio combines patients with no evidence of disease, tumor regression, or stable disease. Nearly half of follow-up patients (48.4%) reported their cancer either disappeared or visibly shrank.
Who Were the Patients?
The cohort included a range of cancer types, most represented being prostate (27.9%), breast (18.3%), lung (8.6%), and colon (5.1%). At baseline, 37.1% had actively progressing cancer. Prior treatment exposure included surgery (42.1%), chemotherapy (31.5%), and radiation (28.9%).
Many patients received concurrent treatments alongside the protocol, including chemotherapy (27.9%), radiation (21.3%), dietary changes (37.7%), and supplements (49.2%), a multimodal context relevant to interpreting the outcomes.
What About Safety and Tolerability?
Side effects were reported by 25.4% of patients, predominantly mild gastrointestinal symptoms. Of those who experienced side effects, 93.6% continued treatment. Overall protocol completion reached 86.9%, and 66.4% remained on therapy at the 6-month mark.
Who Conducted the Research?
The report was led by Nicolas Hulscher and co-authored by Kelly Victory, James Thorp, Drew Pinsky, and Alejandro Diaz-Villalobos, with involvement from Harvey Risch, Chairman of the President’s Cancer Panel. The work was conducted in collaboration with The Wellness Company’s Chief Medical Board and the McCullough Foundation.
What Are the Study’s Limitations?
This is an observational, self-reported cohort study, not a randomized controlled trial, a distinction that matters significantly. Reviewers and fact-checkers have noted several key limitations:
- Outcomes were self-reported, with no independent verification of diagnoses or imaging results.
- There was no control group, so outcomes without the drugs cannot be assessed.
- Many patients used concurrent conventional treatments, isolating the drug effect is not possible.
- Researchers have financial ties to The Wellness Company, a conflict of interest.
- The paper remains a preprint and has not completed peer review.
The authors acknowledge these limitations, describing findings as “hypothesis-generating” and calling for “prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled trials to better understand safety, effectiveness, and optimal dosing.”
Why Does It Matter Despite the Limitations?
Observational data from real-world patients carries weight, particularly for drugs already well-studied, inexpensive, and with established safety profiles. Both ivermectin and mebendazole have drawn growing laboratory and clinical interest in oncology, with pre-existing research demonstrating anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in various cancer cell lines.
As the first report of its kind at 197 patients, it gives researchers a real-world signal worth investigating further. The next step is the rigorous clinical trial this report explicitly calls for.
Anyone considering these treatments should speak with a licensed oncologist or physician. This report does not constitute medical advice, and ivermectin and mebendazole are not approved cancer treatments by the FDA.
Source: The Wellness Company | Full Preprint on Zenodo
