Apitox (honeybee venom) / Apimeds - LARVOL DELTA

Chemometric-based analytical standardization of bee venom: Resolving the melittin-equivalence paradox through multivariate quality assurance. (PubMed, J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci) - "The findings suggest that the "melittin-equivalence" often observed in traditional protocols is a univariate oversimplification that masks fundamental differences in stability and safety. The proposed MVQA framework provides a metrological roadmap for the standardization of bee venom, ensuring therapeutic consistency and safety through advanced chemometric protocols that go beyond single-parameter proxies."

Journal • Oncology

Antimicrobial peptides from arthropod venoms exhibit activity against Sporothrix species. (PubMed, J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis) - "The antifungal activity of seven antimicrobial peptides derived from arthropod toxins against Sporothrix species was evaluated: six synthetic peptides derived from the spider Lycosa erythrognatha toxin and one peptide isolated from apitoxin (melittin). and synergism with itraconazole, supporting further investigation as an antifungal candidate. Although therapeutic efficacy was not evaluated in infected animal models, the development of a safer melittin-based formulation provides a proof-of-concept foundation for future studies focusing on the local treatment of cutaneous sporotrichosis."

Journal • Infectious Disease

From Toxin to Therapy: Biomedical Applications of Bee Venom in Cancer, Diabetes, and Neurodegenerative Disorders. (PubMed, Int J Mol Sci) - "Apitherapy is a complementary therapeutic approach based on the use of bee-derived products, particularly bee venom (BV), also known as apitoxin...Recent advances in drug delivery systems and nanotechnology may help improve the safety and efficacy of BV-based therapies by enabling targeted delivery and controlled dosing. Overall, bee venom represents a promising source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in translational and integrative medicine; however, further well-designed clinical trials and mechanistic studies are necessary to establish its safety, efficacy, and long-term therapeutic value."

Journal • Review • Allergy • Alzheimer's Disease • CNS Disorders • Diabetes • Metabolic Disorders • Movement Disorders • Oncology • Pain • Parkinson's Disease

Bee Venom and Cancer: A Mini-review Focusing on Melittin Antitumoral Effects. (PubMed, Curr Drug Targets) - "In this review, a comprehensive overview of the various actions of melittin and other components of bee venom on different types of cancer is provided. The research discusses their mechanisms of action and potential strategies to enhance efficacy and minimize toxicity."

Journal • Bladder Cancer • Colorectal Cancer • Genito-urinary Cancer • Oncology • Solid Tumor • METTL3 • TNFA

Self-toxicity and tolerance mechanisms of honeybee venom in honeybees. (PubMed, J Exp Biol) - "Honeybee venom (apitoxin) is a potent mixture of biologically active peptides and enzymes, primarily evolved as a defence against insect predators - including other bees...Our results indicate that honeybees mount a complex, multi-level defence to their own toxin, highlighting their potential as a unique model for studying endogenous anti-toxin mechanisms. Insights from this system may inspire future biomedical and biotechnological applications."

Journal • Infectious Disease

Apimeds Pharmaceuticals US, Inc. and Lōkahi Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Division of Anesthesiology, (Apimeds Press Release) - "Addiction Medicine and Pain Medicine (DAAP) has confirmed a Type C meeting to discuss LT-100 (Apitox), a non-opioid biologic candidate being developed for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA). The meeting will be conducted via teleconference on Monday, May 4, 2026...The scheduled interaction follows the recent submission of a Type C meeting request and represents an important step in the coordinated U.S. regulatory strategy for LT-100. The meeting is intended to support alignment with the FDA on key development considerations and the overall path forward for the program in the U.S."

FDA event • Osteoarthritis

Quantitative Assessment of Total Aerobic Viable Counts in Apitoxin-, Royal-Jelly-, Propolis-, Honey-, and Bee-Pollen-Based Products Through an Automated Growth-Based System. (PubMed, Microorganisms) - "Moreover, the actual research demonstrated that polysorbates efficiently block the antimicrobiological potential of bioactive compounds, such as phenols, flavonoids, enzymes, peptides, and fatty acids, which naturally occur in apitoxin, royal jelly, propolis, bee pollen, and honey, allowing for efficient microorganism recovery from the bee-made products tested. Therefore, this AGBS could be applied efficiently within the cosmetic industry to assess the total aerobic viable count in bee-derived products such as capillary treatments, toothpaste, and anti-aging cream, affording several benefits associated with faster product release into the market."

Journal

Bee venom or melittin acupoint injection controls neuropathic pain in rats through the modulation of neuroinflammatory factors. (PubMed, J Pain) - "PERSPECTIVE: This article presents pharmacoacupuncture with apitoxin or melittin as a potential approach for the relief and prevention of chronic pain. This technique may support clinicians in the management of pain and the restoration of clinical parameters, thereby contributing to patient care."

Journal • Preclinical • Inflammation • Neuralgia • Pain • GFAP

Pharmacovigilance and toxicological risks associated with apitherapeutic products: a systematic overview. (PubMed, Arch Toxicol) - "This study aimed to conduct an integrative review of the scientific literature and official pharmacovigilance databases (Notivisa, EudraVigilance, FDA/MedWatch, TGA, among others) to identify adverse effects and toxicological risks associated with the use of honey, apitoxin (bee venom), propolis, royal jelly, bee pollen, and beeswax...These findings highlight the need for appropriate labeling, post-marketing surveillance, and educational campaigns to ensure the safe use of these products. It is concluded that despite their recognized benefits, apitherapeutic products must be used with caution, and the strengthening of pharmacovigilance systems is essential to safeguard public health."

Adverse events • Journal • Review • Allergy • Asthma • Contact Dermatitis • Dermatitis • Dermatology • Immunology • Pulmonary Disease • Respiratory Diseases

Sex-dependent variations in chronic pain sensitivity and in the analgesic effct induced by apitoxin and melittin (NeuPSIG 2025) - "Although sex-dependent differences were observed in basal nociceptive threshold between male and female rats, which reflected difference in apitoxin-induced analgesia, potent and long-lasting analgesia was observed after apitoxin and melittin treatment in chronic neuropathic pain in both genders."

CNS Disorders • Neuralgia • Pain

Early treatment with bee venom or melittin injection promotes delay on pain onset (NeuPSIG 2025) - "Early and repetitive pharmacoacupuncture treatments using apitoxin or melittin can produce long-lasting analgesia and delay in the onset of pain in a neuropathic pain model. Thus, this technique seems extremely attractive to be used in clinical treatments. In addition, after nine applications, it was not observed the development of tolerance or any other adverse effects that are commonly observed in allopathic pharmacies."

CNS Disorders • Neuralgia • Pain

Apitoxin Versus Soft Laser for Management of Aphthous Ulceration. (clinicaltrials.gov) - P=N/A | N=60 | Completed | Sponsor: Tanta University

New trial

Bee venom loaded chitosan nanoparticles enhances growth, immunity and resistance to vibrio parahaemolyticus in pacific white shrimp. (PubMed, Sci Rep) - "Despite the known anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties of bee venom (apitoxin), its application for promoting growth and health in shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), remains largely unexplored...Dietary inclusion of BV-CSNP proved highly effective in promoting shrimp growth and overall health. The benefits observed include enhanced digestive enzyme activity, improved intestinal integrity, robust antioxidant and innate immune responses, and effective protection against V. parahaemolyticus infection."

Journal • Infectious Disease

Bee Venom Disrupts Vascular Homeostasis: Apitoxin and Melittin Trigger Vascular Cell Toxicity and Aortic Dysfunction in Mice. (PubMed, Toxicol Sci) - "Isometric tension was measured during phenylephrine-induced contractions, as well as endothelium-dependent (acetylcholine) and -independent (sodium nitroprusside) relaxations. L-NAME and SOD prevented apitoxin-induced vascular impairments, implicating the NO pathway and oxidative stress. These findings demonstrate that apitoxin impairs vascular cell viability and aortic function at clinically relevant concentrations, underscoring both its vascular risks and therapeutic potential."

Journal • Preclinical

Potential Inhibitory Effect of the Peptide Melittin Purified from Apis mellifera Venom on CTX-M-Type Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamases of Escherichia coli. (PubMed, Antibiotics (Basel)) - "The peptide fraction of Apitoxin smaller than 10 kDa exhibited a protein band corresponding to Melittin, devoid of higher molecular weight proteins...Conclusions. Melittin is able to inhibit ESBL's hydrolytic activity but not blaCTX-M transcription possibly indicating an effect at the translational or post-translational level."

Journal • Infectious Disease

Suppression of skin lesions and SLE nephritis by increasing Treg in MRL/FASlpr mice by administration of bee venom Apitoxin®. (PubMed, Adv Rheumatol) - "Overall, the results confirmed that Apitoxin® induced clinical improvement in SLE by increasing the proportion of Treg cells and decreasing anti-dsDNA antibodies in the blood, which resulted in therapeutic effects on glomerulonephritis associated with decreased renal infiltration of immune complexes."

Journal • Preclinical • Glomerulonephritis • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Arthritis • Lupus • Lupus Nephritis • Nephrology • Pain • Renal Disease • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus • CD4 • FOXP3 • IL2RA

Therapeutic Effects of Nanocoating of Apitoxin (Bee Venom) and Polyvinyl Alcohol Supplemented with Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles. (PubMed, Pharmaceutics) - "The BV extract displayed higher toxicity to liver tissue (2.3%) with 97.7% viability at 250 μg/mL, compared to nanofilm, which showed 0.09% toxicity and 99.9% viability at the same concentration. the BV nanofilm emerges as a promising alternative medicine, offering an innovative solution for treating various diseases through its high concentration of therapeutically active compounds and effortless targeting delivery."

Journal • Diabetes • Hematological Disorders • Infectious Disease • Metabolic Disorders • Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS OF AFRICANIZED BEE (Apis mellifera) ENVENOMATION IN HORSES. (PubMed, Toxicon) - "Many cases of massive bee envenomation have been documented in both humans and animals, particularly in dogs. Understanding the mechanism of action of apitoxin, its effects on various tissues, and the ideal therapy for each patient has proven crucial for improving survival rates."

Journal • Hematological Disorders • Renal Disease • Respiratory Diseases

Therapeutic Potential and Mechanisms of Bee Venom Therapy: A Comprehensive Review of Apitoxin Applications and Safety Enhancement Strategies. (PubMed, Pharmaceuticals (Basel)) - "The immunogenic properties of bee venom necessitate ongoing research to mitigate allergic reactions, ensuring its safe and effective use in medical practice. This review summarizes the current state of research on bee venom therapy, highlighting its potential benefits and future research directions."

Journal • Review • Allergy • Immunology • Oncology • Pain

Apitoxin or Melittin induces analgesia and reduces Neuroinflammation in Rat Neuropathic Pain Model (IASP 2024) - "Pharmacoacupuncture with both compounds, apitoxin or melittin, appears as an attractive therapy for chronic pain control due to its efficacy and prolonged duration of pain relief. Also, pharmacoacupuncture can modulate important markers of inflammation in the peripheral and central nervous system. It was also possible to determine that the analgesia promoted by pharmacoacupuncture is mediated via the endogenous opioid pathway and that the treatment can recover the CSA, increasing the capacity for post-injury recovery."

Preclinical • Inflammation • Neuralgia • Pain • ATF3 • FAP • GFAP

Bee chitosan nanoparticles loaded with apitoxin as a novel approach to eradication of common human bacterial, fungal pathogens and treating cancer. (PubMed, Front Microbiol) - "The morphological changes were clear in a concentration-dependent manner, and the ability of the cells was 250 to 500 μg mL-1. These results revealed that Api@ChB NPs may be a promising natural nanotreatment for common human pathogens."

Journal • Colon Cancer • Colorectal Cancer • Gastrointestinal Cancer • Hepatology • Infectious Disease • Liver Cancer • Oncology • Solid Tumor

Bee Venom: Composition and Anticancer Properties. (PubMed, Toxins (Basel)) - "The interaction of BV peptides and enzymes with the plasma membrane is a crucial step in the whole process. However, before its possible application as a remedy, it is crucial to identify the correct route of exposure and dosage of BV and MEL for potential therapeutic use as well as potential side effects on normal cells and tissues to avoid any possible adverse event."

Journal • Review • Hematological Malignancies • Leukemia • Oncology • Solid Tumor

Bee Venom Toxic Effect on MDA-MB-231 Breast Cancer Cells and Caenorhabditis Elegans. (PubMed, Anticancer Agents Med Chem) - "Thus, due to its potential toxic effect and induction of allergic reactions, using bee venom as a therapeutic approach has been limited. The development of controlled-release drug strategies to improve this natural product's efficacy and safety should be intensified."

Journal • Allergy • Breast Cancer • Oncology • Solid Tumor • SOD3

Standardized guidelines for Africanized honeybee venom production needed for development of new apilic antivenom. (PubMed, J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev) - "This process involved extracting, purifying, fractionating, characterizing, and identifying the venom (apitoxin) employing mass spectrometry to generate standardized antigen for hyperimmunization of horses using the major toxins (melittin and its isoforms and phospholipase A2). The current guide describes standardization of the entire production chain of venom antigens in compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMP) required by regulatory agencies. Emphasis is placed upon the welfare of bees and horses during this process, as well as the development of a new biopharmaceutical to ultimately save lives."

Journal • Review

An Updated Review Summarizing the Anticancer Efficacy of Melittin from Bee Venom in Several Models of Human Cancers. (PubMed, Nutrients) - "We are mainly focused on exploring the potential of melittin (a peptide component) of bee venom that has shown promising potential in the treatment of several human cancers, including breast, stomach, lung, prostate, ovary, kidney, colon, gastric, esophageal, cervical cancers, melanoma, osteosarcoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. This review has summarized all potential studies related to the anticancerous efficacy of melittin (apitoxin), its formulations, conjugates, and nano-formulations against several human carcinomas, which would further pave the way for future researchers in developing potent drugs for cancer management."

Journal • Review • Cervical Cancer • Gastrointestinal Cancer • Hepatocellular Cancer • Melanoma • Oncology • Osteosarcoma • Sarcoma • Solid Tumor