Florida Launches Landmark Investigation Into Ivermectin for Cancer Treatment
Florida is stepping into territory long avoided by major cancer institutions: researching ivermectin and other repurposed antiparasitic drugs as possible cancer therapies. The announcement has sparked renewed debate about why inexpensive medications with decades of safety data remain largely ignored in oncology—and why some clinicians argue they could transform cancer care.
Among the leading voices is Dr. William Makis, a Canadian radiologist, oncologist, and cancer researcher with more than 100 peer-reviewed publications. He runs what he describes as the largest ivermectin-based cancer clinic in the world and has published studies documenting the use of ivermectin, mebendazole, and fenbendazole in late-stage cancer patients—some of whom were stage IV and are now in long-term remission.
Makis says Florida’s move is “big news” and long overdue.
Why Florida Is Doing the Research Big Cancer Centers Won’t
According to Makis, more than 400 preclinical studies now show ivermectin has anticancer activity. Many of these studies explicitly recommend moving to human trials.
So why haven’t major cancer institutions—MD Anderson, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Dana-Farber, Memorial Sloan Kettering—pursued them?
Makis offers a blunt explanation:
clinical guidelines are controlled by organizations heavily funded by pharmaceutical companies. And because ivermectin is off-patent and inexpensive, there is little financial incentive to study it.
Instead, guidelines prioritize drugs such as Keytruda or Opdivo—treatments that often cost patients hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Oncologists, Makis argues, have become “pill pushers,” required to follow strict protocols set by those organizations. Deviating from guidelines can risk disciplinary action from medical boards, which are also influenced by industry money.
“Big cancer centers should have been doing this research for years,” Makis says. “But because ivermectin isn’t profitable, they won’t touch it.”
What Florida Is Actually Funding
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo have publicly endorsed the investigation into repurposed drugs like ivermectin and mebendazole. They’ve allocated:
- $60 million specifically for research into repurposed medications
- Nearly $300 million for broader cancer research initiatives
Florida has invited clinicians—including Makis—to speak, present data, and train healthcare professionals on the science behind these drugs.
Political support matters, Makis explains, because the medical system won’t pursue such research without it.
Safety Records That Rarely Make Headlines
Contrary to its portrayal during COVID-19 debates, ivermectin is not merely a livestock drug. It:
- Won the Nobel Prize in 2015
- Is on the WHO List of Essential Medicines
- Has been prescribed to humans over 4 billion times
- Has a 40-year safety record
- Is, according to Makis, “safer than Tylenol or aspirin”
The same is true for mebendazole and fenbendazole, widely used antiparasitics with decades of clinical use.
Yet Makis says the public rarely hears this because media narratives are shaped by pharmaceutical interests, not by independent data.
What About Other Countries?
Some studies have emerged from China, but Makis notes few from India or Russia—even though these countries rely heavily on low-cost medications.
Interestingly, China appears more open to researching therapies outside the pharmaceutical mainstream. “They support research that goes beyond big pharma,” Makis says. “But this is the kind of research the U.S. should be leading.”
Why Access Matters
Makis believes ivermectin and similar drugs should be available over the counter in the United States. Several states, including Tennessee and Idaho, have already moved in that direction.
Given their safety record and low cost—often just hundreds of dollars per month compared to tens of thousands for conventional oncology drugs—he argues these medications should be accessible to every patient, without barriers.
How Ivermectin and Benzimidazole Drugs Work Against Cancer
Ivermectin, mebendazole, and fenbendazole are all antiparasitic medications, but their cancer-related mechanisms differ.
Ivermectin’s documented anticancer actions include:
- Blocking tumor growth pathways, especially PAK1, which drives both malignant and benign tumor formation
- Targeting cancer stem cells, which resist chemotherapy and often cause relapse years later
- Potentially shrinking benign tumors such as fibroids, meningiomas, and lipomas
Makis emphasizes that chemotherapy misses cancer stem cells, killing only rapidly dividing cells. Stem cells that survive can remain dormant and later regenerate cancer—even after years of remission. This is why oncologists rarely say “cancer-free,” and why they describe chemo as “palliative,” not curative.
Adding ivermectin, he argues, may finally target these resistant cells.
Do Patients Need to Choose Between Standard Care and Repurposed Drugs?
Makis says no.
“Patients don’t have to choose one or the other,” he explains. “You can add ivermectin or mebendazole to chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, or targeted therapy.”
He reports that patients who combine conventional treatment with antiparasitics often see tumors “melt away” within a few cycles—results that shock their oncologists.
Some patients do choose to avoid chemotherapy altogether due to side effects. Makis says his protocols can still be effective alone, but response tends to be faster when combined.
Why Timing Matters: Early-Stage vs. Late-Stage Patients
Most patients seek Makis’s clinic only after exhausting all standard treatment options and being told they have months to live. At that point, the cancer is often widespread—bones, liver, brain—making treatment extremely difficult.
He stresses that these drugs work far better when started earlier:
- Stage 1 prostate cancer patients have avoided surgery and radiation after several months on antiparasitics.
- Stage 3 breast cancer patients have seen tumors shrink dramatically, allowing less aggressive surgery and avoiding heavy chemotherapy.
“Don’t wait until your oncologist says you have three months left,” he warns. “Repurposed drugs should be used earlier, when they can do the most good.”
The Need for Real Clinical Trials
Makis’s clinic has tracked over 6,500 patients in just 14 months, but he stresses that formal research—long-term, controlled, and published—is necessary to prove these results to the world.
One of his published studies shows stage IV patients becoming cancer-free and remaining so for up to three years. Only Stanford University has published similar data.
“That’s why Florida’s funding matters,” he says. “We need real trials so the world can see what we’re seeing.”
Looking Ahead
The debate over ivermectin is shifting. Once dismissed as a “horse medicine,” the drug is now entering a new chapter—one driven not by pharmaceutical companies, but by states, independent researchers, and thousands of patients pushing for alternatives.
Florida’s bold move has opened the door. Whether other states, countries, or federal agencies follow remains to be seen.
But for researchers like Dr. William Makis, the path forward is clear:
“If we put patients first, this research can change the direction of cancer treatment. Florida is leading the way—and the rest of the world should be paying attention.”
Source from: Kim Iversen Youtube Channel, published on Oct 7, 2025, 167,504 views