What does BIC/FIC mean?“Best In Class / First In Class”.Class...

What does BIC/FIC mean?

“Best In Class / First In Class”.

Class refers to a group of drugs that have the same mechanism of action (MoA). In this case, the class is FTO inhibitors. Zantrene currently has the lowest known IC50 Value for inhibition of FTO (IC50 142.6 nM), making it the most potent known inhibitor of FTO. The second best is Dac51 which has an IC50 of 400 nM, meaning Zantrene is three times more potent than its closest competitor. When we also consider Zantrene’s well established safety and tolerability in humans, it’s easy to see that it already comfortably holds the title of Best In Class.

Similarly, when we look at the clinical status of all known FTO inhibitors, Zantrene has advanced the furthest through the clinic. Currently in modern Phase II trials with many more planned, and with a wealth of historic data, Zantrene is the most clinically mature drug. Its closest competitor here is Brequinar, which was in Phase II trials in the 90s as an immunosuppressive drug and is in modern trials as an antiviral agent (Dr Tillet expands on why Brequinar is not a serious competitor in his posts here, here, and here). Considering that Zantrene also has a potential fast track to approval (bypassing the need for long Phase III trials) under the FDA’s 505(b)(2) pathway, it is undoubtedly the closest inhibitor to market. Once approved by a regulatory agency, Zantrene will also officially be First In Class.

These two factors are crucial to a drugs market capture. Zantrene is in a very enviable position; drugs that are Best in Class, or First in Class often attract multi-billion dollar blockbuster deals. @Mason14 has covered this extensively in his YouTube presentation and gives a brief summary in this post.