According to a study published in Naunyn–Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology (PMID: 37837472), researchers tested mebendazole—a drug traditionally used to treat parasitic infections—against human colon cancer cells (HT-29) in laboratory experiments. The study found that when these cancer cells were exposed to mebendazole at its IC₅₀ concentration, about 78% (±12%) of the cells underwent apoptosis (programmed cell death) within 48 hours, as measured by Annexin V/PI staining and flow cytometry, indicating a strong pro-apoptotic effect in vitro under specific experimental conditions.

According to the same study, researchers also evaluated mebendazole’s effects in vivo using mouse models with implanted colon tumors. In these animal experiments, mebendazole treatment significantly reduced tumor volume and tumor weight compared with controls and was associated with extended survival time. While these findings demonstrate promising anticancer activity in preclinical models, the authors emphasize that human clinical trials are required to determine whether these effects translate into patient benefit.