PhytoMedical announces partner for cachexia compound

Effective immediately, Ricerca will begin developmental work on PhytoMedical’s BDC-03 compound for cachexia, a devastating muscle wasting condition that afflicts 25% of all AIDS patients and upwards of 90% of all advanced cancer patients. In fact, half of all cancer related deaths are a result of cachexia, not the cancer itself.

BDC-03, PhytoMedical’s first plant derived compound, has pharmacologically active elements that have been successful in reducing body fat percentage, increasing lean muscle mass and lowering cholesterol in a study of growing animals.

For obese or overweight individuals, BDC-03’s potential capacity to decrease the deposition of fat and lower cholesterol would be a vitally important therapeutic outcome. However, its prospective ability to induce overall weight gain in the form of lean muscle mass could be the difference between life and death for patients suffering from cachexia.

PhytoMedical said that Ricerca’s responsibilities will eventually expand to include PhytoMedical’s other compounds.