Can Antiparasitic Drug Fenbendazole Treat Pancreatic Cancer?
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, with low survival rates. This disease is known for its late stage diagnosis and limited treatment options. As a result, researchers are constantly looking for new approaches to manage it.
While several early studies have provided initial evidence suggesting that fenbendazole (Panacur, Safe-Guard) has potential in treating various types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer, further research is needed to determine its success and safety in human clinical trials.
Let's go over existing research and evidence surrounding the use of fenbendazole for pancreatic cancer.
What is fenbendazole?
Fenbendazole is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic medication primarily used in veterinary medicine to treat animal gastrointestinal parasites. It belongs to the benzimidazole class of medications and is effective against various parasites, including roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and certain animal tapeworms.
While fenbendazole was initially formulated for veterinary use, preliminary research suggests that it may prevent cancer cell growth and induce cancer cell death.
Fenbendazole is a veterinary medication and has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cancer treatment in humans.
The use of fenbendazole for pancreatic cancer is still experimental, and more studies are needed to determine its success and safety in humans.
Fenbendazole for pancreatic cancer
Although there's limited research specifically focused on fenbendazole for pancreatic cancer, several studies have explored its anticancer properties in general. But the research is still in its early stages, and more research, including clinical trials, is needed to determine its success and safety in people with pancreatic cancer.
Microtubule disruptor
While the exact mechanisms behind fenbendazole's potential anticancer effects are still being studied, researchers suggest that fenbendazole may disrupt microtubules, which are structures involved in cell division and growth.
Mebendazole
Various studies are exploring another anthelmintic medication, this one formulated for humans, called mebendazole for its potential anticancer properties. While mebendazole belongs to the same class of medications as fenbendazole and may share some similarities in their potential anticancer properties, they aren't the same.
A 2022 study highlighted the potential of mebendazole in combination with the targeted therapy drug bevacizumab for treating advanced colorectal cancer. Although this study focused on colorectal cancer, the findings suggest that mebendazole's anticancer activity extends to other types of cancer, including pancreatic cancer.
If you're considering fenbendazole or mebendazole for pancreatic cancer treatment, consider speaking with a healthcare professional who can guide you on the most appropriate treatment based on your condition.
Fenbendazole cancer clinical trials
Currently, limited information is available about ongoing clinical trials specifically investigating the use of fenbendazole in cancer treatment. Most research on fenbendazole's potential anticancer effects has been preclinical or observational studies in animal models and cell cultures.
Although these studies have shown promising results, the available evidence is still at its early stages, and more long-term research, including clinical trials, is needed to determine the safety and success of fenbendazole as a therapeutic option for cancer treatment.
The goals of these clinical trials would be to determine the appropriate dosage and treatment regimen of fenbendazole for different types of cancer, assess its success compared with standard treatments, and test its safety in people with pancreatic cancer.
What are the most successful treatments for pancreatic cancer?
Pancreatic cancer is a challenging disease to treat, and treatment options can vary depending on the stage and characteristics of the cancer.
But some of the most successful treatments for pancreatic cancer include:
Surgery
Surgical intervention is vital in treating pancreatic cancer, particularly for localized tumors. Surgery aims to remove the tumor and any affected surrounding tissue. A doctor may perform various surgical procedures based on the extent of the disease.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to target and destroy cancer cells. It can be used before surgery, after surgery, or as palliative treatment to improve quality of life and relieve symptoms.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses medications to destroy cancer cells or hinder their growth. It can be administered before or after surgery or as the primary treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer.
Common chemotherapy drugs for pancreatic cancer may include gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy uses the body's immune system to fight cancer. It involves medications that activate the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. While still being explored in clinical trials, immunotherapy has shown promise as a treatment option for certain types of pancreatic cancer.
Palliative care
This focuses on improving the quality of life for people with advanced pancreatic cancer. It aims to alleviate various symptoms and support the management of emotional and psychological challenges. It can also be given alongside curative treatments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
17 minutes ago
- Axios
Feds launch crackdown on kratom byproduct
Federal health officials are launching a new campaign to control the distribution of an opioid substance derived from the kratom plant known as 7-OH that's sometimes referred to as "legal morphine." Why it matters: The compound, 7-hydroxymitragynine, is commonly sold online and in smoke shops and has been found in dangerous concentrations in tablets, gummies and drink mixes. Driving the news: FDA and Drug Enforcement Administration officials said Tuesday they are taking steps to schedule the compound as a controlled substance and released a report on its risks to educate the medical community, schools and parents. The FDA has also issued warning letters to seven companies for illegal marketing products containing 7-OH. The products advertise the compound as an added ingredient, or being included at enhanced levels. Distributors claim products with the substance act as "unapproved new drugs with unproven claims such as relieving pain and managing anxiety," the agency said. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. referenced his own history with heroin addiction at a Tuesday event promoting the crackdown, during which he described the importance of cracking down on the easily available synthetic opioid. "I became an addict because [heroin] was so available, but I had to go to the South Bronx or the Lower East Side. But now you can go to any gas station," Kennedy said. "They're putting them around schools, putting them in our poorest neighborhoods and now they are putting them in every gas station," he continued. "They're marketing them to children, they're gummy bears, they're bright colors, they're candy flavored. This is really a sinister, sinister industry." Officials said they are not targeting the herbal supplement kratom but the byproduct. Research has shown 7-OH can be 13 times more potent than morphine, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said. "7-OH is not just 'like' an opioid ... it is an opioid," Makary said. "And yet it is sold in vape stores, in smoke shops, in convenience stores, in gas stations that are popping up around the United States. And no one knows what it is." He declined to weigh in on the safety of kratom products, which have intoxicating effects and have been the target of new and proposed restrictions in Colorado and Louisiana. "Lets not let another wave of the opioid epidemic catch us blind-sided again," Makary said. The move was cheered by some kratom proponents who say the agency's action differentiates what's illegal from legitimate products. "For too long, the conversation around kratom has been polluted by bad actors and misinformation," said Paula Brown, director of Natural Health & Food Products Research at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. "FDA's data now supports what pharmacognosists have known for years: kratom is not a narcotic, and 7-OH is not a natural constituent of the plant. Differentiating them is both scientifically necessary and ethically urgent." The other side: "Over half a billion doses of 7-OH have been used without a single confirmed death. That's not a threat to public safety—that's a success story," said Jeff Smith, National Policy Director of the Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust (HART). "This compound deserves to be regulated like any responsible product."
Axios
17 minutes ago
- Axios
Kratom 7-OH: What to know about the supplement dubbed "legal morphine"
The FDA is cracking down on a potent compound found in kratom supplements: 7-hydroxymitragynine, or 7-OH. Why it matters: Products with 7-OH — which acts like an opioid and has been dubbed " legal morphine" by researchers — have surged in popularity. The latest: On Tuesday, the FDA recommended more regulation of 7-OH products, and warned consumers about their risks. Last month, the FDA sent a letter to companies about the illegal marketing of 7-OH products, calling them potentially dangerous and unproven. By the numbers: Federal survey data from 2021 suggests around 0.7% of Americans 12 and older use kratom products, but recent estimates from the American Kratom Association and Journal of Psychoactive Drugs put usage at 9.1% — or over 20 million people. Catch up quick: Kratom extracts were introduced to the market in September 2023 — five years after the DEA announced an intention to ban kratom. In the years since, "it was like an unofficial war between these manufacturers to see who could get the most potent extract product out there," says Chris McCurdy, a professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Florida who's studied kratom for over 20 years. What is kratom "Kratom" can refer to the plant or powdered leaf — or kratom-derived concentrates in forms like tablets, gummies, drink mixes and shots that are available in some smoke shops and gas stations. The supplement is typically pronounced "kray-tom" in the U.S., but the plant found in Southeast Asia is called "kruh-TOM," McCurdy says. It's been marketed as a mood booster, pain reliever and remedy for symptoms of quitting opioids, but that doesn't mean all kratom products are " natural and safe," according to the Mayo Clinic. Is kratom dangerous? Kratom leaf products are like "a light beer" in terms of potency, McCurdy says. But once you extract and concentrate compounds like OH-7 — removing the natural plant material — he says you're closer to Everclear, the grain spirit that can be 95% alcohol by volume. The kratom plant has OH-7 only in trace amounts, but potency in herbal supplements varies widely. OH-7 "is a pure opioid," McCurdy says. That means it interacts with opioid receptors just like prescription opioids would, so researchers warn it could be highly addictive. "It's more potent than morphine in treating pain in animals," McCurdy says. "The fact that it's available without a prescription is really problematic." Another potential danger: Residual oxidants and other contaminants could remain in concentrated kratom products made in unregulated labs. The big picture: As of March, 24 states regulate kratom or its components in some manner, per the Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Novo Nordisk outgoing CEO blames compounded GLP-1s for decline in 2025 outlook
Novo Nordisk's (NVO) downward guidance Tuesday sent its stock diving 20%, even as new leadership remains bullish on the company's ability to maintain a market lead in the obesity drug space. The maker of GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Wegovy cut sales grown from 13%-21% down to 8%-14% for the year. That's about half, on the higher end, of the 26% growth seen in 2024. Outgoing CEO Lars Jøregensen told reporters Tuesday that the compounding, or copycat, market in the US is to blame. That is one of two key issues that appear to have taken the company by surprise. First was the shortage of both its GLP-1 drugs after they unexpectedly zoomed to popularity, creating a new weight-loss drug market. Jørgensen said that the prevalence of compounded products, which are now restricted after the FDA declared an end to the shortage, is to blame. "Despite the fact that it is now illegal ... it's still happening. And that's one of the assumptions in the prior guidance, that that would be reduced significantly. And we see, actually, that is actually the same volume as we saw earlier in the year, around a million patients using a compounded product," Jørgensen said. The compounded products include those from Novo's ex-partner, Hims & Hers (HIMS), which continues to sell the products based on a loophole in FDA rules that allows it to sell "personalized" products for patients who might have negative reactions or side effects to branded drugs — such as common GLP-1 side effects like nausea or dizziness. Novo recently ended its direct-to-consumer sales deal with Hims after the telehealth firm declined to stop selling compounded semaglutide vials. The result has been a loss in the company's first-to-market position, with competitor Eli Lilly (LLY) taking a harder stance, most recently lobbying Congress to help enforce the FDA rules and rid the market of compounding. Jørgensen said Tuesday, "Ultimately, compounding will disappear. But it will take some time before it's completely out of the market and we have a fair chance of regaining our fair share (of the market)." Incoming CEO Mike Doustdar, who has served as Novo's executive vice president of international operations, said the decline of the company's stock, and therefore shareholder value, is disappointing. "I don't like it as an employee ... as a CEO-elect, and I certainly don't like it as a shareholder myself. But setbacks don't define companies, our response does," Doustdar said, adding that the guidance cut reinforces his mandate to put the company back onto a growth path. Anjalee Khemlani is the senior health reporter at Yahoo Finance, covering all things pharma, insurance, provider services, digital health, PBMs, and health policy and politics. That includes GLP-1s, of course. Follow Anjalee as AnjKhem on social media platforms X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky @AnjKhem. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest health industry news and events impacting stock prices
