TIC10 (TIC10 isomer or ONC201 isomer) is a potent, orally active, and stable small molecule and is an efficacious antitumor therapeutic agent that acts on tumor cells and their microenvironment to enhance the concentrations of the endogenous tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). The isomeric structure of TIC10/ONC201 is critical to its activity: anti-cancer activity is associated with the angular structure and not the linear TIC10 isomer. TIC10 transcriptionally induces a sustained up-regulation TRAIL in tumors and normal cells in a p53-independent manner. TIC10 inactivates kinases Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), leading to the translocation of Foxo3a into the nucleus, where it binds to the TRAIL promoter to up-regulate gene transcription. TIC10 crosses the blood-brain barrier. TIC10 treatment caused tumor regression in the HCT116 p53−/− xenograft, RKO human colon cancer xenograft–bearing mice and human triple-negative breast cancer xenografts and significantly prolonged the survival of Eμ-myc transgenic mice, which spontaneously develop metastatic lymphoma from weeks 9 to 12 of age by 4 weeks.

The BET-bromodomain inhibitor OTX015 (MK-8628) was initially developed by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, but then was licensed by OncoEthix, privately held biotechnology company. OTX015 is a selective bromodomains: BRD2, BRD3, and BRD4 inhibitor and inhibits their binding to AcH4. Bromodomains have an important role in the targeting of chromatin-modifying enzymes to specific sites, including methyltransferases, HATs and transcription factors and regulate diverse biological processes from cell proliferation and differentiation to energy homeostasis and neurological processes. OTX015 has potent antiproliferative activity accompanied by c-MYC down-regulation in several tumor types, and has demonstrated synergism with the mTOR inhibitor everolimus in different models. Oral administration of OTX-015 markedly inhibited tumor growth and reduced tumor volume. OTX015 is currently in Phase 1b studies for the treatment of hematological malignancies and advanced solid tumors such as Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Non-small Cell Lung Cancer, Castrate-resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) and Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. In addition, OTX015 was in phase II for the treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme, but there were not detected clinical activity of the drug in the treatment populations and trial was closed.

Mevastatin (compactin or ML-236B) is an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. This drug induces apoptosis and arrest of cancer cells in G1 phase. Therapeutic effects of mevastatin on serum level of lipoproteins and unbiquinone-10 in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia were investigated. However, that study was discontinued. In addition, mevastatin was investigated for the treatment of melanoma. It was suggested, that mevastatin was unlikely to prevent melanoma at standard doses. However, higher doses could have a role to play in adjuvant therapy by inhibiting growth and invasion of melanoma cells. Also was revealed, that mevastatin increased histone deacetylase inhibitor, LBH589-induced cell death in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells.

BLZ 945, an orally active antagonist of the colony-stimulating factor1 receptor (CSF1R), is being developed by Novartis and Celgene Corporation for the treatment of advanced solid tumors and tumor-induced osteolytic lesions in bone and skeletal-related events. Phase I/II development for solid tumors is underway in the US, Italy, Spain, and Singapore. Preclinical trials were ongoing for tumor-induced osteolysis in Europe and the US. However, no recent reports of development had been identified for this indication.

Uprosertib is an oral potent Akt inhibitor which acts equally on Akt1, Akt2 and Akt3. The drug is under clinical development in combination with trametinib for the treatment of different cancers, including melanoma, myeloma, breast, endometrial, cervical cancer, etc.

ENMD-2076 is an orally-active, Aurora A/angiogenic kinase inhibitor. urora kinases are key regulators of mitosis (cell division), and are often over-expressed in human cancers. ENMD-2076 also targets the VEGFR, Flt-3 and FGFR3 kinases, which have been shown to play important roles in the pathology of several cancers. ENMD-2076 is tested in phase 2 clinical trials against ovarian cancer, breast cance, hepatocellular carcinoma and other malignancies.

BS-181 is a highly selective CDK7 inhibitor with IC50 of 21 nM. It is more than 40-fold selective for CDK7 than CDK1, 2, 4, 5, 6, or 9. BS-181 promotes cell cycle arrest and inhibits the cancer cell growth of a range of tumor types, including breast, lung, prostate and colorectal cancer with IC50 in the range of 11.5-37 uM. In MCF-7 cells, BS-181 inhibits the phosphorylation of the CDK7 substrate RNA polymerase II COOH-terminal domain (CTD), and promotes cell cycle arrest and apoptosis to inhibit the growth of cancer cell lines. BS-181 is stable in vivo with a plasma elimination half-life in mice of 405 minutes after i.p. administration of 10 mg/kg. BS-181 inhibits the growth of MCF-7 xenografts in the nude mice model in a dose-dependent manner, with 25% and 50% reduction in tumor growth after 2 weeks of treatment at 10 mg/kg/day and 20 mg/kg/day, respectively without apparent toxicity. BS-181 demonstrated the anticancer activities in BGC823 cells, suggesting that CDK7 may serve as a novel therapeutic target or the treatment of GC. It has being shown that selective inhibition of CDK7 by BS-181 ameliorates experimental arthritis in mice.

Mevastatin (compactin or ML-236B) is an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. This drug induces apoptosis and arrest of cancer cells in G1 phase. Therapeutic effects of mevastatin on serum level of lipoproteins and unbiquinone-10 in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia were investigated. However, that study was discontinued. In addition, mevastatin was investigated for the treatment of melanoma. It was suggested, that mevastatin was unlikely to prevent melanoma at standard doses. However, higher doses could have a role to play in adjuvant therapy by inhibiting growth and invasion of melanoma cells. Also was revealed, that mevastatin increased histone deacetylase inhibitor, LBH589-induced cell death in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells.

BLZ 945, an orally active antagonist of the colony-stimulating factor1 receptor (CSF1R), is being developed by Novartis and Celgene Corporation for the treatment of advanced solid tumors and tumor-induced osteolytic lesions in bone and skeletal-related events. Phase I/II development for solid tumors is underway in the US, Italy, Spain, and Singapore. Preclinical trials were ongoing for tumor-induced osteolysis in Europe and the US. However, no recent reports of development had been identified for this indication.

TIC10 (TIC10 isomer or ONC201 isomer) is a potent, orally active, and stable small molecule and is an efficacious antitumor therapeutic agent that acts on tumor cells and their microenvironment to enhance the concentrations of the endogenous tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). The isomeric structure of TIC10/ONC201 is critical to its activity: anti-cancer activity is associated with the angular structure and not the linear TIC10 isomer. TIC10 transcriptionally induces a sustained up-regulation TRAIL in tumors and normal cells in a p53-independent manner. TIC10 inactivates kinases Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), leading to the translocation of Foxo3a into the nucleus, where it binds to the TRAIL promoter to up-regulate gene transcription. TIC10 crosses the blood-brain barrier. TIC10 treatment caused tumor regression in the HCT116 p53−/− xenograft, RKO human colon cancer xenograft–bearing mice and human triple-negative breast cancer xenografts and significantly prolonged the survival of Eμ-myc transgenic mice, which spontaneously develop metastatic lymphoma from weeks 9 to 12 of age by 4 weeks.