BenevolentAI Advances AI-powered Clinical Trial in Ulcerative Colitis

BenevolentAI ($BAI) expects to report topline data from an AI-powered Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating a treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC) in Q1 2024. In August, the company dosed the first participants in a Phase I first-in-human studies of its oral phosphodiesterase 10 (PDE10) inhibitor, BEN-8744.

Joanna Shields, Chief Executive Officer of BenevolentAI, said, “Our AI powered drug-discovery platform identified PDE10 as a novel target for UC, with no prior direct associations linking it in scientific literature. BEN-8744 demonstrates the capacity of our technology platform to uncover novel avenues in the treatment of disease.”

Highlights

BEN-8744 is a peripherally restricted small molecule PDE10 inhibitor in development as a potential first-in-class treatment for Ulcerative Colitis.

UC is a chronic disease that causes inflammation and ulceration of the inner lining of the colon and rectum. UC affects 0.4% of the US population, and 31% of patients have moderate-to-severe disease. 20-40% of those patients with moderate-to-severe UC do not respond to anti-TNF and currently available treatments may come with severe side effects.

Dr. Anne Phelan, Chief Scientific Officer of BenevolentAI, said, “UC is a disease with significant unmet patient needs, as rates of sustained remission remain disappointingly low. Initiation of this Phase I study marks a significant milestone in treating this complex disease and serves as the leading asset in our clinical development portfolio. BEN-8744 exemplifies our innovative approach targeting a novel pathway with the potential for meaningful differentiation from existing standard-of-care treatments.”

About BenevolentAI

BenevolentAI (AMS: BAI) is a leading developer of advanced artificial intelligence technologies that unlock the value of multimodal data, surface novel insights, and accelerate biomedical discovery. Through the combined capabilities of its AI platform, its scientific expertise, and wet-lab facilities, the Company is developing an inhouse drug pipeline of high-value assets. The Company is headquartered in London, with a research facility in Cambridge (UK) and a further office in New York.