PF-06840003 is a highly selective orally bioavailable Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO-1) inhibitor with a potent antineoplastic activity. PF-06840003 reversed IDO-1-induced T-cell anergy in vitro. In vivo, PF-06840003 reduced intratumoral kynurenine levels in mice by >80% and inhibited tumor growth in multiple preclinical syngeneic models in mice, in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors. A Phase 1 study of PF-06840003 in patients with Malignant Gliomas is ongoing.

NLG919 is a novel small-molecule IDO-pathway inhibitor. NLG919 potently inhibits this pathway in vitro and in cell-based assays. It is orally bioavailable and has a favorable pharmacokinetic and toxicity profile. In mice, a single oral administration of NLG919 reduces the concentration of plasma and tissue Kyn by ∼ 50%. Using IDO-expressing human monocyte-derived DCs in allogeneic MLR reactions, NLG919 potently blocked IDO-induced T cell suppression and restored robust T cell responses with an ED50=80 nM. Similarly, using IDO-expressing mouse DCs from tumor-draining lymph nodes, NLG919 abrogated IDO-induced suppression of antigen-specific T cells (OT-I) in vitro. In vivo, in mice bearing large established B16F10 tumors, administration of NLG919 markedly enhanced the anti-tumor responses of naïve, resting pmel-1 cells to vaccination with cognate hgp100 peptide plus CpG-1826 in IFA

AZD-3759 is an oral inhibitor of both wild-type and mutant EGFR with IC50 values in nanomolar range. The drug was discovered by AstraZeneca for the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer with CNS metastases. AZD-3759 can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and was confirmed to be effective in vitro with NSCLC cell lines as well as in mouse model of brain metastases. AZD-3759 is currently in Phase 1 clinical trial.

Entospletinib (GS-9973) is an adenosine triphosphate competitive inhibitor of Syk that disrupts kinase activity, which is currently in clinical trials for multiple B-cell malignancies. The most common treatment-emergent serious adverse events included dyspnea, pneumonia, febrile neutropenia, dehydration, and pyrexia.

ADX-71149 (JNJ-40411813), a phenylpiperidine-substituted pyridone, is positive allosteric modulator (PAM) metabotropic glutamate type 2 (mGlu2) receptor activity. In fed rats, JNJ-40411813 was rapidly absorbed with an absolute oral bioavailability of 31%. ADX-71149 (JNJ-40411813) demonstrates antipsychotic activity in vivo rodents experiments. ADX-71149 (JNJ-40411813) is being jointly developed by Addex Therapeutics and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a Johnson & Johnson company, for the treatment of epilepsy. Addex Therapeutics was also developing the candidate for schizophrenia, major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. However, development in these indications has been discontinued.

Nastorazepide (Z-360) is a selective, orally available, gastrin/cholecystokinin 2 (CCK-2) receptor antagonist with potential antineoplastic activity. Z-360 binds to the gastrin/CCK-2 receptor, thereby preventing receptor activation by gastrin, a peptide hormone frequently associated with the proliferation of gastrointestinal and pancreatic tumor cells. It is currently under development as a therapeutic drug for pancreatic cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease and peptic ulcers. The most commonly reported adverse events were nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting and fatigue.

Motesanib (AMG 706), a novel nicotinamide, was identified as a potent, orally bioavailable inhibitor of the VEGFR1/Flt1, VEGFR2/kinase domain receptor/Flk-1, VEGFR3/Flt4 and Kit receptors. Motesanib was expected to reduce vascular permeability and blood flow in human tumours. A phase III trial of motesanib in combination with paclitaxel and carboplatin in non-squamous NSCLC has been terminated by Takeda and subsequently the development was discontinued. Motesanib has also been investigated up to phase II in breast, thyroid, colorectal and gastrointestinal stromal tumours. However, development has been discontinued in these indications.

ARN-810 (GDC-0810) is a novel, orally bioavailable, estrogen receptor antagonist that induces proteasomal estrogen receptor degradation in breast cancer cell lines at picomolar concentrations and tumor regression in tamoxifen-sensitive and resistant BC xenograft models. Results from a first-in-human phase I/IIa study of ARN-810 indicate that it is tolerable and may benefit some postmenopausal women with advanced estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. Development of ARN-810 was discontinued.

BI-224436 is an HIV-1 integrase inhibitor with effective antiviral activity that acts through a mechanism that is distinct from that of integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs). This 3-quinolineacetic acid derivative series was identified using an enzymatic integrase long terminal repeat (LTR) DNA 3'-processing assay. A combination of medicinal chemistry, parallel synthesis, and structure-guided drug design led to the identification of BI 224436 as a candidate for preclinical profiling. It has antiviral 50% effective concentrations (EC50s) of <15 nM against different HIV-1 laboratory strains and cellular cytotoxicity of >90 μM. BI-224436 also retains full antiviral activity against recombinant viruses encoding INSTI resistance substitutions N155S, Q148H, and E92Q. In drug combination studies performed in cellular antiviral assays, BI-224436 displays an additive effect in combination with most approved antiretrovirals, including INSTIs. BI-224436 has drug-like in vitro absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) properties, including Caco-2 cell permeability, solubility, and low cytochrome P450 inhibition. It exhibited excellent pharmacokinetic profiles in rat (clearance as a percentage of hepatic flow [CL], 0.7%; bioavailability [F], 54%), monkey (CL, 23%; F, 82%), and dog (CL, 8%; F, 81%). Based on the excellent biological and pharmacokinetic profile, BI 224436 was advanced into phase 1 clinical trials. Trials with clinical candidate BI-224436 were put on hold despite promising results.

Savolitinib (AZD6094, HMPL-504) has been demonstrated to inhibit the growth of tumors in a series of preclinical disease models, selectively for those tumors with aberrant c-Met signaling. Phase I dose escalation studies were initiated in Australia and China in 2012 and 2013 respectively. Savolitinib has demonstrated good safety and tolerability and favorable pharmacokinetic properties in late stage cancer patients, and has shown encouraging anti-tumor activity in several tumor-types, in particular for metastatic Papillary Renal Cell Cancer (PRCC). Phase II, study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of savolitinib in patients with locally advanced or metastatic PRCC. Approximately 20 centers in the United States, Canada, and Europe will participate in the study. The primary objective of this study is to assess the anti-tumor activity in patients with PRCC as measured by overall response rate according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (“RECIST”). The secondary objectives for this study are to: assess the progression free survival and duration of response in patients with PRCC according to RECIST; assess the safety and tolerability in the treatment of patients with PRCC; characterize the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of savolitinib and metabolites following administration to steady state after multiple dosing when given orally.