Fenbendazole is an animal anthelmintic used to treat parasitic worms in sheep, horses, dogs and cats. It is a broad spectrum benzimidazole and has been shown to be effective against the hookworms (mainly Necator americanus) and roundworms of dogs, cats and cattle; it also reduces the egg count in human intestines caused by whipworms (mainly Trichuris suis). The medicine appears to have a good safety profile when ingested orally in humans. It does not interact with folic acid or other B vitamins and has no significant adverse effects on liver function. It has no effect on blood sugar or blood cholesterol levels in diabetics and appears to be safe for long term use.
Recently a veterinarian named Andrew Jones created a series of videos on Facebook and TikTok claiming that he had cured his pet dog of cancer by giving the animal fenbendazole. He was reprimanded by the College of Veterinarians of British Columbia for promoting unlicensed treatments. The videos sparked widespread interest and concern that the medicine was being widely sold to consumers without proper veterinary supervision.
In a study, researchers treated human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells with fenbendazole. They analyzed the cells for signs of cancer cell death and found that the drug partially altered the microtubule network around the nucleus of the cell. It also activated the wild type (WT) p53 tumour suppressor gene, resulting in enhanced cell death-inducing activity. It also inhibited glucose uptake, GLUT transporter expression and hexokinase II (a key glycolytic enzyme that cancer cells thrive on).
These results were replicated in other experiments using different cell lines. Treatment of NSCLC cells with fenbendazole resulted in decreased survival rates, which was associated with altered mitochondrial metabolism and inhibition of glucose uptake. In a glucose oxidation assay, H460 and A549 cells treated with increasing concentrations of fenbendazole showed reduced uptake of the fluorescent glucose analogue 2-NBDG. Glucose consumption was also decreased in culture supernatants from fenbendazole-treated cells.
To further support these findings, researchers combined fenbendazole with the chemotherapy drugs paclitaxel and docetaxel in an in vitro experiment. They found that combining fenbendazole with the taxanes significantly enhanced their cell-killing properties compared to either drug alone.
This is likely due to the fact that fenbendazole acts through a similar mechanism as the taxanes. Fenbendazole and paclitaxel act by binding to the mitochondria of cancer cells, blocking the movement of ions and preventing their breakdown. This allows the taxanes to enter the cells and kill them more efficiently.
These research findings indicate that fenbendazole could be an ideal partner for the treatment of NSCLC and other types of cancers. Dr Doug has taken the next step and added 300mg of fenbendazole to his Turmeric Pet & Dog Bites in order to maximise the anti-cancer benefits. He has started a Facebook group called the Fenbendazole Curcumin Trial Group where owners can share their experiences and follow the progress of others. fenben for humans
