AZD-8835 is a potent inhibitor of PI3Kα and PI3Kδ with selectivity versus PI3Kβ, PI3Kγ, and other kinases that preferentially inhibited growth in cells with mutant PIK3CA status, such as in estrogen receptor-positive (ER(+)) breast cancer cell lines BT474, MCF7, and T47D (sub-umol/L GI50s). Consistent with this, AZD-8835 demonstrated antitumor efficacy in corresponding breast cancer xenograft models when dosed continuously. AZD-8835 is a selective, oral inhibitor of PI3K isoforms α and δ with the following activity in enzymatic assays: PI3K α – IC50 = 6nM (equipotent vs wt and E545K / H1047R mutants); PI3K δ – IC50 = 6nM; PI3K γ – IC50 = 90nM; PI3K β – IC50 = 431nM. Inhibition of signalling in cells (pAKT endpoint): PI3K α – IC50 = 57nM; PI3K δ – IC50 = 49nM; PI3K β – IC50 = 3.6uM; PI3K γ - IC50 = 532nM. AZD-8835 is in phase I clinical studies by AstraZeneca for the treatment of advanced solid tumors and ER+ and HER-2 negative breast cancer.

HKI-357 is a potent, dual irreversible inhibitor of ErbB2 (HER2) and EGFR. HKI-357 suppresses ligand-induced EGFR autophosphorylation and cell proliferation in NCI-H1975 cells containing L858R and T790M mutations.

Sepantronium bromide (YM155) is a selective survivin suppressant that exhibits potent antitumor activities by inducing apoptosis and autophagy in various types of cancer. Sepantronium bromide inhibited the growth of various human cancer cell lines in vitro with GI50 values in the low nM range. Sepantronium bromide blocked the growth of 119 human cancer cell lines, with the greatest inhibition in lines derived from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, hormone-refractory prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, sarcoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, and melanoma, with an average GI50 of 15 nM. Sepantronium bromide inhibited the growth of tumor cell lines regardless of their p53 status and demonstrated significant antitumor activity in 5 mice xenograft models. It also caused tumor regressions in vivo, possibly by its effects in reducing intratumoral survivin expression levels and increasing apoptosis. Sepantronium Bromide had been in phase II clinical trials by Astellas for the treatment of prostate cancer, melanoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, breast cancer, diffuse large B cell lymphoma, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and other solid tumors. This compound had also been in clinical trials by National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the treatment of solid tumors (phase I) and advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (phase II). However, all these researches about this compound for all indications were discontinued.

CUDC-101 is a multi-targeted agent designed to inhibit epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), human epidermal growth factor receptor Type 2 (Her2) and histone deacetylase (HDAC). This drug synergistically blocked key regulators of EGFR/HER2 signaling pathways, also attenuating multiple compensatory pathways, such as AKT, HER3, and MET, which enable cancer cells to escape the effects of conventional EGFR/HER2 inhibitors. Thus, a single compound may offer greater therapeutic benefits, which is verified in clinical trial phase I for the treatment patients with advanced head and neck, gastric, breast, liver, and non-small cell lung cancer tumors. In April 2013, CURIS, INC determined that they would discontinue enrolling patients in phase 1 expansion trial of the intravenous formulation of CUDC-101, and that the future development of CUDC-101 would be dependent on our ability to successfully develop an oral formulation of CUDC-101. However, the efforts to develop an effective oral formulation with improved bioavailability have not resulted in significant improvements when compared to the intravenous formulation of CUDC-101. As a result, at this time CURIS no longer plan to make material investments in this program.

CHF-5074 is a small molecule with a unique microglial modulating mechanism of action capable of selectively reducing pro-inflammatory activities of microglial cells while increasing their ability to remove neurotoxic amyloid beta (“Aβ”) aggregates in the brain by phagocytosis. CHF-5074 reduces Aβ42 and Aβ40 secretion, with an IC50 of 3.6 and 18.4 μM, respectively. Microglia are small cells that migrate through the brain to remove waste products, such as amyloid aggregates that cause inflammation and irreversible damage to nerve cells. Chronic dysfunction of microglia is increasingly believed to play an important role at the very beginnings of Alzheimer’s disease. The results from Chiesi’s human clinical studies corroborate the large body of data from published preclinical studies. In Alzheimer’s disease transgenic mouse models, CHF-5074 was shown to reduce neuroinflammation, inhibit brain amyloid β plaque deposits, reduce tau pathology, and reverse associated memory deficits. These findings indicate CHF-5074 acts simultaneously on several important therapeutic targets, and this neuroprotective multi-target approach may translate into preventing the memory loss that is the hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

Roniciclib (BAY1000394) is a pan-cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that has been developed for treatment in small cell lung carcinoma and solid tumors. Roniciclib targets certain key proteins that are essential for the survival of cancer cells, resulting in decreased tumor growth. Phase I studies to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of roniciclib have been completed successfully. In phase II studies, roniciclib was found to be well tolerated and showed promising efficacy when combined with chemotherapy in small cell lung carcinoma patients. However, due to an observed safety signal (treatment-emergent adverse events) in one phase II study, other clinical trials have been discontinued and further development of roniciclib was terminated.

Pivanex, also known as AN-9, is a histone deacetylase inhibitor analog of butyric acid that causes apoptosis of cancer cells through signaling cellular differentiation. AN-9 exhibited antimetastatic and antiangiogenic activities by reducing vascularization, bFGF expression, and HIF-1a. An important property of the AN-9 as anticancer agents is its ability to inhibit the growth of multidrug-resistant cancer cells including MCF- 7 Dx, HL-60Mx, and MES-SA-DX and to interact in synergy with doxorubicin in killing cancer cells. Combination of AN-9 and radiation significantly increased mortality of glioma cell lines and, in vivo, inhibited tumor growth and prolonged time to failure in mice bearing glioma xenografts, demonstrating their radiosensitizing function. In clinical trials. Pivanex is well tolerated in patients with advanced NSCLC and is indicative of anti-cancer activity.

Lexithromycin is an early semi-synthetic erythromycin, prepared by reaction of the 9-keto moiety to methyl oxime. Lexithromycin has improved absorption in vivo over erythromycin due to increased hydrophopicity and pH stability. Like all erythromycins, lexithromycin shows broad spectrum antibacterial activity and acts by binding to the 30S and 50S ribosomal sub-units, blocking protein synthesis. Formulations containing lexithromycin were tested in clinical trials as treatment for HIV but were discontinued.

Amgen is developing AMG-900, an orally active, small molecule aurora kinase A, B and C inhibitor for the treatment of solid tumours and haematological malignancies. In tumor cells, AMG-900 inhibited autophosphorylation of aurora-A and -B as well as phosphorylation of histone H3 on Ser(10), a proximal substrate of aurora-B. The predominant cellular response of tumor cells to AMG-900 treatment was aborted cell division without a prolonged mitotic arrest, which ultimately resulted in cell death. AMG-900 inhibited the proliferation of 26 tumor cell lines, including cell lines resistant to the antimitotic drug paclitaxel and to other aurora kinase inhibitors (AZD1152, MK-0457, and PHA-739358), at low nanomolar concentrations. Furthermore, AMG-900 was active in an AZD1152-resistant HCT116 variant cell line that harbors an aurora-B mutation (W221L). Oral administration of AMG-900 blocked the phosphorylation of histone H3 in a dose-dependent manner and significantly inhibited the growth of HCT116 tumor xenografts. Importantly, AMG-900 was broadly active in multiple xenograft models, including 3 multidrug-resistant xenograft models, representing 5 tumor types. AMG-900 has entered clinical evaluation in adult patients with advanced cancers and has the potential to treat tumors refractory to anticancer drugs such as the taxanes.

Belnacasan (VX-765), and its active metabolite VRT- 043198, is a novel and irreversible IL-converting enzyme/ caspase-1 inhibitor. VRT-043198 exhibits 100- to 10,000-fold selectivity against other caspase-3, -6 and -9. It exhibited potent inhibition against ICE/caspase-1 and caspase-4 with Ki of 0.8 nM and less than 0.6 nM, respectively. And VRT-043198 also inhibits IL-1β release from both PBMCs and whole blood with IC50 of 0.67 uM and 1.9 uM, respectively. Belnacasan inhibits the release of IL-1, IL-18 and IL-33. Belnacasan has shown to inhibit acute partial seizures in preclinical models and has shown activity in preclinical models of chronic partial epilepsy that do not respond to currently available compounds for epilepsy. In addition, it seems to reduce disease severity and the expression of inflammatory mediators in models of rheumatoid arthritis and skin inflammation. Belnacasan had been in phase II clinical trials by Vertex for the treatment of epilepsy. However, this study has been terminated later.