News Release

Ivermectin-benzimidazole prescribing following celebrity endorsement

JAMA Network Open

Peer-Reviewed Publication

JAMA Network

About The Study: Ivermectin-benzimidazole prescribing rose rapidly following celebrity endorsement in January 2025, with disproportionate increases among male patients, white patients, residents of the U.S. South, and individuals with cancer. The elevated prescribing observed among patients with cancer is particularly concerning; individuals facing life-threatening illness may delay or forgo conventional treatments in favor of unproven therapies, potentially allowing their disease to progress.

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Michelle S. Rockwell, PhD, email msrock@vt.edu.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.16780)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

Embed this link to provide your readers free access to the full-text article This link will be live at the embargo time https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.16780?guestAccessKey=1b34668e-afe8-4888-aa3d-dd05b3b83eff&utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=051226


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