Benzimate is the lead compound selected from a series of compounds known as benzimidazoles. The anti-cancer and anti-viral activity of the benzimidazoles was originally investigated by the Proctor & Gamble Company (P & G) beginning in the 1990’s.
Preclinical studies carried out by P & G showed benzimate to be highly active against a wide variety of human tumor cell lines in vitro, including breast, colon, prostrate, lung and pancreatic cancer cell lines. The drug appears to inhibit the ability of cells to divide, with a mechanism similar to drugs such as paclitaxel, docetaxel, and Taxotere?. These findings were sufficiently promising to encourage P & G, in collaboration with ILEX Oncology, to initiate a series of Phase I clinical trials in which various oral formulation of benzimate were administered to a total of 64 cancer patients.
Although the drug was tolerated well, and there was evidence of clinical efficacy, a number of patients stopped treatment because of poor tolerance to the preparation, which in many cases was voluminous and poorly palatable, and suffered low and variable absorption.