Dewormer and scabies drugs being sold as cancer treatments, BBC investigation finds

Ivermectin is a prescription-only medicine in the UK, which means it can only be given by a licensed person, such as a doctor or pharmacist.

It gained global attention as a potential “miracle drug” during the coronavirus pandemic, although clinical trials have consistently shown it does not provide clinical benefits for Covid-19 patients.

The MHRA medical regulator said it was not licensed for cancer treatment.

Animal dewormer fenbendazole is an anti-parasitic drug which is not licensed for use in humans in the UK.

It can be bought in small quantities for animals without a prescription, according to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.

While some trials exist into their anti-cancer properties, Macmillan Cancer Support said there was “zero real-world clinical evidence” to back up the claims about ivermectin.

The charity’s chief medical officer, Prof Richard Simcock, said he was concerned the BBC was able to easily buy the medicines without a prescription.

“We’re seeing an increasing number of people asking about these two products,” he said.

“We’re worried that they’re not getting up-to-date, effective and accurate information about what these drugs are capable of.

“If someone is thinking about taking these drugs, we’d really urged them to talk to their clinical team or ring the clinical helplines at Macmillan where we can provide information about what safe and effective care might look like.”

He added this kind of misinformation was often fuelled by the appeal of personal anecdotes, especially if they came from someone a person already knows.

Cancer Research UK also warned that, while there was some anti-cancer data from testing fenbendazole using mice, there was no scientific evidence to prove that it worked in people.