CTS2016

We validated the synergistic effects and mechanisms of combined treatment with a type I PRMT inhibitor and a PRMT5 inhibitor (JNJ-64619178, GSK3326595/EPZ015938 or an in-house PRMT5i) using cell-based assays and in vivo studies...In vitro and in vivo studies revealed that inhibitors of type I PRMT and MAT2A (AG-270) dosing combination indeed exhibited stronger anti-cancer activity than mono-treatment...In vivo, the combination of type I PRMT inhibitor with different FLT3 inhibitors (Gilteritinib, Midostaurin, or CTS2016) led to deeper antitumor responses in a variety of FLT3-ITD AML models. Taken together, these findings support the co-administration of type I PRMT inhibitor with various therapies including epigenetic reprogramming, cancer metabolism modulation, or targeted therapies for receptor tyrosine kinases, which could benefit cancer patients as a promising therapeutic strategy.

We tested CTS2016 as a single agent or in combination with either venetoclax, a Bcl-2 inhibitor, or azacitidine, a hypomethylating agent (HMA) and an epigenetic modulation drug, in a series of in vitro and in vivo studies using various AML models. CTS2016 resulted in a potent growth inhibitory effect with strong induction of cell death in a spectrum of AML cell lines carrying FLT3 mutations (FLT3-ITD and/or FLT3-TKD). CTS2016 orally administered once daily, demonstrated potent and dose-dependent antitumor responses in a variety of AML xenograft mouse models. These data demonstrate that CTS2016 could be a promising therapy for treating patients diagnosed with AML and MDS harboring FLT3 mutations and solid tumors such as NSCLC and TNBC with high-expression of AXL. More proof-of-concept data would come from the ongoing clinical trial.