BIRMINGHAM, AL (December 17, 2025) – CerFlux has been awarded a competitive research grant from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA) as part of the foundation’s latest statewide investment in cutting-edge breast cancer research.

 BCRFA recently announced a $1.2 million commitment to advance innovative breast cancer research across Alabama, reinforcing its mission to eliminate breast cancer as a public health threat through strategic, high-impact funding. This latest round of grants pushes the foundation’s total investment in breast cancer research to more than $17 million since its founding in 1996, marking a significant milestone for the organization.

CerFlux was selected as an awardee to support science that is both patient-centered and forward-looking, with the potential to transform how breast cancer is studied and treated. The funded CerFlux project focuses on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) – one of the most aggressive and difficult-to-treat forms of breast cancer – and how obesity alters the tumor microenvironment (TME) in ways that can shield tumors from therapy. Obesity affects nearly 40% of adults in Alabama and is associated with worse outcomes in breast cancer, making this a particularly urgent challenge for patients across the state.

Using the CerFlux BEST™ (Bioprinted ex vivo Slice Tissue) platform, the research team will create advanced 3D bioprinted tumor models that recreate key features of tumors from lean and obese environments – without relying on animal testing. These models will be used to study how standard cancer drugs perform differently depending on the tumor’s surrounding environment, helping explain why treatments that work for some patients fail for others.

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“BCRFA’s continued investment sends a powerful message that Alabama is committed to bold, innovative cancer research,” said Dr. Karim I. Budhwani, CEO-Scientist and co-founder of CerFlux. “This support will allow us to tackle a critical and growing problem – why obesity makes certain breast cancers harder to treat – and to do so using next-generation, human-relevant models that better reflect real patient tumors. We are honored to be part of BCRFA’s vision to accelerate progress and improve outcomes for patients.”

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Importantly, this project also aligns with growing national momentum from the FDA and NIH to reduce and replace animal testing through New Approach Methods (NAMs), while accelerating the development of more predictive, human-relevant cancer models.

“BCRFA is proud to invest in research that has the potential to make a real difference for patients and families across Alabama,” said Beth Davis, President & CEO of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama. “By supporting innovative new approaches like CerFlux BEST, we are helping drive the next generation of breast cancer research.”

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This award is part of a broader statewide investment highlighted by Yellowhammer News, which recently reported on this BCRFA $1.2 million commitment. The initiative supports innovative projects at leading academic and research institutions statewide, underscoring BCRFA’s role as a catalyst for collaborative, high-impact science. CerFlux is honored to contribute to this collective effort by bringing next-generation, human-relevant cancer modeling approaches to address one of the most pressing challenges in breast cancer care.

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About CerFlux

CerFlux, Inc. is a cancer biotechnology company developing human-relevant ex vivo and in silico tumor models to improve drug response prediction and accelerate precision oncology. By recreating patient-specific tumor environments in its BEST™ models, outside the body, CerFlux aims to reduce treatment failure, shorten development timelines, and improve outcomes for patients with solid tumors. Learn more at www.cerflux.com.

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About the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama (BCRFA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding promising breast cancer research in Alabama and raising awareness to help eliminate breast cancer as a public health threat. Through strategic investments in innovative science, BCRFA is advancing discoveries that improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of breast cancer statewide. Learn more at www.bcrfa.org.