MBQ Pharma announces the First-in-Human Dose for Advanced Breast Cancer with the dual targeted Rac/Cdc42 inhibitor: MBQ-167

· *MBQ-167 is a first-in-class small molecule and dual targeted inhibitor of over-expression of two proteins (Rac and Cdc42) that enable cancer metastasis and increased resistance to other anti-cancer agents.*
· *90% of cancer-related deaths are related to cancer metastasis and MBQ-167 is being evaluated in this first human clinical trial to determine the best dose to evaluate this investigational drug in future studies to determine its safety and efficacy for reducing this terrible outcome.*

*SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO / ACCESSWIRE / November 13, 2023 /* MBQ Pharma Inc., a pioneering clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to advancing innovative treatments for solid tumor cancers, is thrilled to announce a significant milestone. We are proud to announce that we have dosed the first participant in our Phase 1 clinical trial of MBQ-167. MBQ-167 is the first-in-class drug as a dual inhibitor designed to target two GTPase proteins: Rac and Cdc42. Overexpression of these proteins in cancer cells are considered the primary drivers of solid tumor cancer spread and of cancer cells developing resistance to treatment. MBQ Pharma has successfully initiated this trial for patients who need additional options after all possible standard cancer therapies have been attempted. This exciting development marks a decisive step forward in the fight against Advanced Breast Cancer (ABC). MBQ Pharma is grateful to the volunteer participants and referring oncologists.

"We are thrilled to have provided this first dose to our first participant in this important study," said Dr. José F. Rodríguez-Orengo, CEO of MBQ Pharma Inc. "We want to recognize and thank the patient volunteers who are suffering from this horrible disease, their family members and caregivers that support them. Additionally, I want to thank our team members and collaborators who have worked tirelessly to bring this innovative drug to eligible patients enduring a hard battle against ABC. We are committed to advancing MBQ-167 into the clinic with the hope of delivering a new safe and effective treatment option for patients with ABC who have failed all available standard of care therapies."

This Phase 1 clinical trial is an open-label, dose-escalation study aimed at establishing the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of MBQ-167. MBQ-167 is administered orally twice daily for a continuous period of 21 days. Eligible participants may continue to take MBQ-167 twice a day until stopping the drug due to disease progression or other reasons. The trial is being conducted by investigators in San Juan, PR. You can find further details about the Phase 1 trial of MBQ-167 by visiting ClinicalTrials.gov and using the identifier NCT06075810.

*About MBQ-167*

MBQ-167 represents a highly potent and selective small molecule inhibitor, specifically targeting GTPases Rac and Cdc42. We intend to demonstrate in this clinical trial that the inhibition of Rac and Cdc42 GTPases achieved by MBQ-167 can have a profound impact on cancer cells in humans by impeding the proliferation, migration, and invasion of these cells and effectively reducing or preventing their spread to other organs.

*About MBQ Pharma*

With this exciting news, MBQ Pharma achieves a fundamental step forward by becoming a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. We continue to be dedicated to advancing precision targeting strategies for GTPases in the context of cancer treatment and have now demonstrated that we can successfully take the monumental leap from pre-clinical investigations into clinical investigations. The company's portfolio comprises of several small molecule drug candidates designed to selectively target specific signaling pathways, supported by robust scientific and clinical reasoning, with the overarching goal of enhancing outcomes for patients facing advanced disease who may benefit from novel treatments. To access further details about MBQ Pharma, please visit our website at mbqpharma.com.

*Forward-Looking Statements*

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, the efficacy, safety, and the therapeutic potential of MBQ Pharma's product candidate MBQ-167, the progress and expected timing of MBQ Pharma's drug development programs and clinical trials. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially include the risk that compounds that appeared promising in early research or clinical trials do not demonstrate safety and/or efficacy in later preclinical studies or clinical trials, the risk that MBQ Pharma may not obtain approval to market its product candidates, uncertainties associated with performing clinical trials, regulatory filings and applications, risks associated with reliance on third parties to successfully conduct clinical trials, the risks associated with reliance on outside financing to meet capital requirements, risks that the actual benefits of the clinical trial will not be as expected and other risks associated with the process of discovering, developing, and commercializing drugs that are safe and effective for use as human therapeutics, and in the endeavor of building a business around such drugs. You are urged to consider statements that include the words, "may", "will", "promise", "potential", "designed", "goal", or the negative of those words or other comparable words to be uncertain and forward-looking. For a further list and description of the risks and uncertainties MBQ Pharma faces, please refer to our website at mbqpharma.com. Such forward-looking statements are current only as of the date they are made and MBQ Pharma assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise.

*Contacts*

Scott Houston
VP, Clinical & Business Development
(415) 404-8838 (UTC-08:00)
scott.houston@mbqpharma.com

*Investors*

Carlos Dominguez
CFO
(787) 600-3494 (UTC-04:00)
carlos.dominguez@mbqpharma.com

*SOURCE:* MBQ Pharma, Inc.
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