Ivermectin, a drug used routinely to treat parasitic worm infections, has gained massive popularity online and interest from some oncologists. It has become such a phenomenon that the New York Times published three different articles in early 2025 discussing the social and cultural forces surrounding the drug. While it is a generally safe drug, taken at high doses there are risks. Neurological damage has been observed at higher doses.1Hoang R, Temple C, Correia MS, Clemons J, Hendrickson RG. Characteristics of ivermectin toxicity in patients taking veterinary and human formulations for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. Clinical Toxicology. 2022;60(12):1350-1355. Looking at ivermectin for cancer is complex. In this article we’ll discuss the research for ivermectin as a cancer therapy, and the gaps in research to support anecdotal success stories.
The popularity of ivermectin
The popularity of ivermectin has been driven by its promotion as a COVID-19 treatment, results of preliminary lab studies, and in online cancer forums. Ivermectin has quickly become a sought after drug among people with cancer.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, ivermectin was promoted as a cheap drug to take to shorten the duration of a COVID infection, and in a 2025 meta-analysis it was found that ivermectin could reduce symptom duration.2Sai Yengu N, Raheem A et al. The impact of ivermectin on COVID-19 outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Medicine and Surgery. 2025;87(2):809-829. The overall effects of ivermectin and COVID remain inconclusive, and it has not been adopted by conventional medicine.
Other doctors, many of whom have private practices, have adopted ivermectin in experimental cancer protocols. One of ivermectin’s most vocal advocates is Dr. Makis. It is important to note he no longer has his medical license, and is using extremely experimental approaches to cancer. There is one clinical trial in process with ivermectin and breast cancer, and the results of that trial will help to understand if it might be used as an effective cancer treatment. Otherwise, there is limited clinical data on ivermectin as a cancer therapy.
Outcomes from petri dish and animal studies: a mixed picture
In 2014 a study was published indicating ivermectin had shown potential anti-cancer effects in a petri dish of cancer cells.3Melotti A, Mas C et al. The river blindness drug Ivermectin and related macrocyclic lactones inhibit WNT-TCF pathway responses in human cancer. EMBO Molecular Medicine. 2014;6(10):1263-1278. This was one of the first published studies suggesting ivermectin may have anticancer activity.
When applying ivermectin solutions to leukemia, pancreatic cancer, and prostate cancer cells in laboratory dishes, it appears that ivermectin activates pathways leading to eventual cell death.4Xia Y, Wang D et al. Silencing of tropomodulin 1 inhibits acute myeloid leukemia cell proliferation and tumor growth by elevating karyopherin alpha 2-mediated autophagy. Pharmacology Research. 2024 Sep;207:107327; Li MY, Zhang J et al. Ivermectin induces nonprotective autophagy by downregulating PAK1 and apoptosis in lung adenocarcinoma cells. Cancer Chemotherapy Pharmacology. 2024 Jan;93(1):41-54; Samy A, Hussein MA, Munirathinam G. Eprinomectin: a derivative of ivermectin suppresses growth and metastatic phenotypes of prostate cancer cells by targeting the β-catenin signaling pathway. Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology. 2023 Sep;149(11):9085-9104.
Researchers combining ivermectin with immunotherapy (anti-PD1 antibodies) in mice found that the combination was more effective than either drug alone against breast tumors, with evidence that ivermectin helped immune cells to enter the tumors.5Draganov D, Han Z et al. Ivermectin converts cold tumors hot and synergizes with immune checkpoint blockade for treatment of breast cancer. NPJ Breast Cancer. 2021 Mar 2;7(1):22.
Ivermectin has also been studied as an anti-inflammatory treatment for conditions like rosacea, asthma, and late-stage COVID-19. While the evidence is still preliminary, its anti-inflammatory action could be useful in cancer.6Zhang X, Song Y et al. Ivermectin inhibits LPS-induced production of inflammatory cytokines and improves LPS-induced survival in mice. Inflammation Research. 2008;57(11):524-529; Ventre E, Rozières A et al. Topical ivermectin improves allergic skin inflammation. Allergy. 2017;72(8):1212-1221; Yan S, Ci X et al. Anti-inflammatory effects of ivermectin in mouse model of allergic asthma. Inflammation Research. 2011;60(6):589-596; DiNicolantonio JJ, Barroso J, McCarty M. Ivermectin may be a clinically useful anti-inflammatory agent for late-stage COVID-19 [published correction appears in Open Heart. 2020 Oct;7(2):e001350corr1.]. Open Heart. 2020 Sep 6;7(2):e001350.
It is important to note that the studies mentioned here are not in humans, and have also been done with doses much higher than is feasible in humans. Animal studies are useful to guide research in humans, but they don’t prove that a treatment is or isn’t effective in people.
Ivermectin is one of the many off-label drugs reviewed in detail in our Supplements and Therapies Database. Explore the research findings here:
Making informed decisions
It can be difficult to decide if a popular therapy like ivermectin is right for you. Remembering that your cancer is unique to you, and understanding what treatments have strong evidence for your cancer, are important for your personal care decisions.
We spoke with a CancerChoices advisor to hear what she sees in practice.
“Compared to many other repurposed drugs, ivermectin has lower levels of evidence behind it, but also has a high safety profile when used at typical doses. It is a high priority to get human studies published in this area (case reports, observational studies and clinical trials). Patients ask about ivermectin virtually every day of clinic, but rarely ask about other more established anti-cancer immune therapies like mistletoe,” said Jen Green, naturopathic oncologist.
As Dr. Green points out, there are many cancer therapies with more evidence than ivermectin that are worth exploring. Even though ivermectin has gained popularity online, it is important to understand the potential risks and lack of clinical data. One risk is replacing effective conventional treatment with an experimental treatment like ivermectin, which doesn’t have strong evidence yet as a cancer therapy. While you may hear stories from individuals about their success, it is important to remember each cancer case is unique, and they may not be sharing their entire treatment plan that additionally contributed to the success.
There are other effective therapies to explore that aren’t getting as much attention as ivermectin. We cover a wide range of integrative therapies with strong evidence and encourage you to explore:
- Supplement and Therapies Database ›
- Body Terrain factors, like Inflammation ›
- 7 Lifestyle Practices ›
An integrative whole-person approach to cancer puts you at the center. Prioritizing your overall wellness through lifestyle practices like Eating Well and Moving More, and working with an integrative practitioner to choose evidence-based therapies most effective for your cancer, may improve your outcomes and quality of life. Understanding the research and the choices available for treatment empower you to make informed decisions about your care.
Learn more about a whole-person approach to cancer
References
Christine has a dynamic background in the life sciences, public health, and program operations. Her career began at the lab bench with a Gates Foundation-funded HIV Vaccine research group, which led her to graduate studies in public health epidemiology at UC Berkeley. Her research experience spans clinical epidemiology research to evaluating the impacts of community nutrition programs in Los Angeles, the Central Valley, and Oakland. Most recently she has worked in executive operations for a seed-stage venture capital firm based in San Francisco. Personally, Christine is passionate about holistic health and wellness. She is a clinical herbalist and Reiki master, and she has been practicing yoga for 15+ years. She brings a breadth of experiences to her work leading the CancerChoices program.