On September 26, 2023 BullFrog AI Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BFRG; BFRGW) ("BullFrog AI" or the "Company"), a technology-enabled drug development company using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to enable the successful development of pharmaceuticals and biologics, reported positive data in a preclinical study investigating the anti-cancer activity of a novel prodrug of mebendazole for the treatment of glioblastoma (Press release, Bullfrog AI, SEP 26, 2023, View Source [SID1234635403]). The study assessed the relative efficacy of BF-222, a novel formulation of mebendazole that has been evaluated in clinical trials, and BF-223, a novel prodrug of mebendazole with improved solubility and bioavailability relative to BF-222, compared with placebo in mice that had been implanted with tumor cells as a model for human glioblastoma.
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Animals treated with BF-223 had an average survival time of 27.9 days compared with 27.3 days for mice treated with BF-222 and 23.4 days for mice given placebo. Mice treated with BF-223 were administered 80% of the dose that mice treated with BF-222 received, and improved outcomes for both treatment groups were statistically significant compared to placebo. In addition, animals treated with equivalent doses of BF-222 and BF-223 showed comparable and significant reduction in tumor growth compared to control animals during the study.
"This is the first study to demonstrate that BF-223, a novel mebendazole prodrug, has anti-cancer activity in animals," said Vin Singh, Chairman and CEO of BullFrog AI. "The data from this study, combined with BF-223’s improved properties, gives us confidence that BF-223 has potential to be an effective treatment in the fight against glioblastoma, a form of cancer for which there are few good treatment options. We are currently pursuing partnering opportunities for BF-222 and BF-223 with pharmaceutical companies and are confident that these data will assist in that effort."
About Glioblastoma
Glioblastoma is a fast-growing and aggressive type of cancer that occurs in the brain or spinal cord. It is the most common malignant tumor of the central nervous system (CNS), accounting for nearly 50% of primary malignant tumors occurring in the CNS. Treatment options include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy with the drug temozolomide, but the prognosis for survival in patients diagnosed with glioblastoma remains poor, with a five-year survival rate of less than 10%. The global glioblastoma multiforme treatment market is projected to increase from $ 5.1 billion in 2020 to an estimated $ 10.2 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 12.8% during the forecast period, according to a report by Vision Research Reports.