All material is intended solely for educational and informational purposes.
The Dr. William Makis Fenbendazole Protocol: Dosing, Evidence, and What the Research Actually Shows
In the growing conversation around fenbendazole as a potential anticancer agent, one name comes up more than any other: Dr. William Makis. A Canadian oncologist affiliated with Alberta Health Services and the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, Makis has published over 110 peer-reviewed papers and has become one of the most prominent voices advocating for repurposed antiparasitic drugs in cancer care.
This article covers the protocol he has developed, the evidence behind it, and the significant controversy that followed a 2025 clinical paper bearing his name.
If you are looking for background on the Joe Tippens protocol that first brought fenbendazole to public attention, start with Fenbendazole and the Joe Tippens Protocol: Science, Evidence, and What Remains Unproven. The Makis protocol builds on that foundation but adds considerably more pharmacological structure.
Form: 0.5% lotion
Approval: FDA-approved in 2012, available over the counter since 2023
Makis trained at McGill University and has spent his career in nuclear medicine and oncology. He is also affiliated with the FLCCC (Frontline COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance) and has collaborated with Dr. Paul Marik and Dr. Ilyes Baghli on repurposed drug research. His work sits firmly outside mainstream oncology consensus, which is worth stating plainly: what he proposes has not been tested in randomized controlled trials.
That context does not make the protocol irrelevant. It means readers should understand its evidentiary status clearly.
Who Is Dr. William Makis?
The Core Protocol
The Makis approach is not a fenbendazole-only protocol. It is a combination strategy, and understanding why requires a brief look at how cancer cells survive.
Most cancer cells, especially the stubborn ones that survive chemotherapy and come back, have an unusual relationship with energy. Instead of burning fuel the way healthy cells do, they rely on a shortcut called the Warburg effect: they consume sugar rapidly and inefficiently, even when oxygen is available. This metabolic quirk is also what makes them hard to kill. The Makis protocol targets that vulnerability directly.
Ivermectin, in this framework, interferes with the energy-producing machinery inside cancer cells. Fenbendazole works differently: it disrupts the physical scaffolding cancer cells need to divide, and it blocks their ability to absorb the sugar and amino acids they depend on. The argument is that combining both compounds attacks cancer cells at two separate points, making it harder for them to adapt and survive.
For a full overview of ivermectin's mechanisms and off-label research, see Ivermectin: The Antiparasitic That Keeps Showing Up in Unexpected Places.
Key components of the protocol as published in 2024:
An important practical note: fenbendazole must be taken with a fatty meal. Without co-administered fat, the body absorbs very little of the compound. This applies to mebendazole as well.
The protocol also recommends combining drug use with intermittent fasting or a ketogenic diet. The reasoning is straightforward: if cancer cells depend on sugar to function, restricting dietary carbohydrates puts additional pressure on them while the drugs do their work.
The Published Evidence
The primary peer-reviewed source for the Makis protocol is a September 2024 paper in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine:
Baghli I, Martinez P, Makis W, et al. "Targeting the Mitochondrial-Stem Cell Connection in Cancer Treatment: A Hybrid Orthomolecular Protocol." J Orthomolecular Med. 2024;39(3).
This paper lays out the scientific case for combining these compounds. It draws on laboratory research showing that fenbendazole disrupts cancer cell division, blocks the transporters cancer cells use to absorb glucose, and triggers programmed cell death. In plain terms: several independent research groups have confirmed, in cell and animal studies, that fenbendazole does things to cancer cells that are worth taking seriously.
A 2020 study in Drug Design, Development and Therapy confirmed fenbendazole's ability to disrupt cell division in human cancer models. A separate 2020 paper in Pharmacological Research documented its effects on sugar metabolism in a particularly treatment-resistant type of lung cancer. These are not fringe findings; they are cited consistently across the literature.
A 2025 case series by Makis et al. documented three Stage IV remissions on fenbendazole; the paper was
subsequently retracted by Karger Publishers due to an undisclosed conflict of interest, not disputed clinical data.
The gap is clinical. Laboratory results and animal models do not automatically translate to humans. No phase I or II human trial for fenbendazole in cancer has been completed as of 2026. The preclinical evidence is real, the clinical evidence is not yet there.
What the Protocol Looks Like in Practice
For readers encountering this protocol through online communities or Makis's own publications, the version circulating in 2025–2026 typically takes one of two forms:
Entry-level / antiparasitic use: Fenbendazole 222 mg taken with a fat-containing meal, 3 days on / 4 days off. Paired with vitamin D3 and a basic supplement stack (curcumin, berberine). This mirrors the Joe Tippens structure with added mechanistic rationale.
Higher-dose cancer-adjunct use: Fenbendazole 444–1,000 mg on the same cycling schedule, combined with high-dose ivermectin and the full orthomolecular stack. This is the protocol from the 2024 paper, intended as a complement to, not a replacement for, conventional oncology treatment in the published case examples.
The Role of Ivermectin in This Protocol
Because ivermectin is the primary co-compound in the Makis framework, readers researching fenbendazole in this context will almost certainly need to understand it separately. The two drugs are not interchangeable and are not designed to be used alone: they target different vulnerabilities in the same biological pathway. Using fenbendazole without ivermectin is a different protocol with a different evidence base.
For a full breakdown of ivermectin's mechanisms, approved uses, and off-label research landscape, see Ivermectin: The Antiparasitic That Keeps Showing Up in Unexpected Places
Key Takeaways
Dr. William Makis's protocol combines fenbendazole or mebendazole with high-dose ivermectin, vitamin D3, and metabolic interventions, targeting cancer cells' dependence on sugar and their internal energy machinery.
The 2024 Hybrid Orthomolecular Protocol paper (Baghli, Martinez, Makis et al., J Orthomolecular Med) is the primary peer-reviewed source and has not been retracted.
Fenbendazole's anticancer mechanisms are well-documented in preclinical research.
Human clinical trial data does not yet exist.
The dosing schedule is 3 days on / 4 days off, and fat co-administration is required for proper absorption.
Liver monitoring is advisable, particularly at higher doses or in combination protocols.
Liver monitoring is advisable, particularly at higher doses or in combination protocols.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Dr. Makis fenbendazole protocol?
The Makis protocol combines fenbendazole (222–1,000 mg, cycled 3 days on / 4 days off) with high-dose ivermectin, vitamin D3, berberine, and liposomal curcumin, targeting cancer cells through metabolic disruption and interference with cell division. The full framework was published in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine in September 2024.
What dose of fenbendazole does Dr. Makis recommend?
Makis has described a range of 222 mg to 1,000 mg per day on a 3-days-on / 4-days-off cycle, with the specific dose depending on severity and whether it is used alongside conventional treatment. All doses should be taken with a fat-containing meal for adequate absorption.
Is there peer-reviewed evidence supporting the Makis protocol?
The 2024 paper in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine provides the theoretical and preclinical basis. Multiple independent preclinical studies support fenbendazole's anticancer mechanisms; human clinical trials have not yet been conducted.
What is the difference between fenbendazole and mebendazole in this protocol?
Both are benzimidazole compounds and work through similar mechanisms, but they are not used identically. Mebendazole is taken daily at 500 mg; fenbendazole is cycled 3 days on / 4 days off at 222–1,000 mg. Makis treats them as interchangeable options rather than sequential steps.
How does the Makis protocol differ from the Joe Tippens protocol?
The Joe Tippens protocol uses fenbendazole 222 mg three days per week with vitamin E succinate, curcumin, and CBD oil. The Makis protocol adds high-dose ivermectin as the primary co-compound, targets cancer cell metabolism more specifically, uses higher fenbendazole doses, and is framed as a combination adjunct to conventional treatment rather than a standalone approach.
⚠️ For convenience only. Consult a licensed professional.
All material is intended solely for educational and informational purposes.
References
Baghli I, Martinez P, Makis W, et al. Targeting the mitochondrial-stem cell connection in cancer treatment: a hybrid orthomolecular protocol. J Orthomolecular Med. 2024;39(3). Published September 19, 2024.
Makis W, Baghli I, Martinez P. Fenbendazole as an anticancer agent? A case series of self-administration in three patients. Case Rep Oncol. 2025;18(1):856–863. doi:10.1159/000546362. [Retracted: Case Rep Oncol. 2026;19(1):169. doi:10.1159/000549387]
Dogra N, Kumar A, Bhardwaj T. Fenbendazole acts as a moderate microtubule destabilizing agent and causes cancer cell death by modulating multiple cellular pathways. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2020;14:3839–3850.
Jain S, Bhargava K, Bhargava R. Fenbendazole impairs glucose metabolism in KRAS-mutant lung cancer. Pharmacol Res. 2020;160:105019.
Xi L, et al. Fenbendazole's unique ability to simultaneously target bulk tumor cells and therapy-resistant cervical cancer stem cells via cell cycle disruption. 2025. [Full citation pending journal confirmation.]