Health · Fitness & Nutrition · 2 hrs ago
Teen Boys Reportedly Use Bladder Cancer Drug in Bid to Grow Taller
Teen boys are reportedly taking erdafitinib to grow taller after seeing claims about it online.
The trend, called “heightmaxxing,” involves using a prescription drug approved to treat advanced bladder cancer.
The drug has not been approved for children or to increase height, and its safety and effectiveness for adolescents have not been established.
Studies have recorded unexpected growth in some children treated with erdafitinib, but rapid growth can come with serious skeletal problems, including growth plate damage and fractures.
Doctors also warn of possible vision damage and other side effects.
Height is largely determined by genetics, and once growth plates close near the end of puberty, the drug cannot reopen them, doctors say.
Teenage boys are reportedly taking erdafitinib, a bladder cancer drug, in an attempt to grow taller.
The reported use is linked to online discussions and a social media trend known as “heightmaxxing.”
Doctors warn that taking the drug without medical supervision can cause serious health risks.
Johnson & Johnson says erdafitinib has not been approved to stimulate height growth and has not been established as safe or effective for children or adolescents.
Medical reports have described unexpected growth in some children taking the drug, alongside serious skeletal complications in one case.
- Who
- Teenagers, primarily boys, are reportedly taking erdafitinib. Doctors and Johnson & Johnson have warned about the practice.
- What
- Teenagers are reportedly using a prescription bladder cancer drug in an attempt to grow taller.
- When
- The report was published on November 10, 2026. A study of two pediatric patients was published in 2024.
- Where
- The reported trend is discussed online. The article does not state where the teenagers taking the drug are located.
- Why
- Online discussions reportedly suggest the drug could increase height.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A study in Hormone Research in Paediatrics described accelerated growth in two pediatric patients receiving erdafitinib.
Fox News published a report about teenagers reportedly using erdafitinib to try to grow taller.
- Drug
- Erdafitinib, also referred to online as “ERDA” or “Erta
- Approved use
- Treatment of advanced bladder cancer
- Manufacturer
- Johnson & Johnson
- Pediatric growth report
- A 2024 study described accelerated growth in two pediatric patients
- Reported complication
- A teenager in a separate case grew more than 5 inches during treatment and developed serious skeletal complications
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What people are saying
It’s extremely concerning that teenagers are experimenting with powerful cancer medications in an attempt to grow taller
These drugs were developed to treat serious medical conditions, not to enhance physical appearance, and taking them without a legitimate medical indication or physician supervision can have devastating consequences.