Cancer

Cell culture and mouse studies suggest farnesyl transferase inhibitors plus the oncolytic alphavirus M1 could help treat colorectal and pancreatic cancers. In a human colorectal cancer cell line treated with alphavirus M1, co-treatment with the farnesyl transferase inhibitor tipifarnib increased viral replication compared with vehicle co-treatment, whereas in a normal human hepatocyte cell line, tipifarnib had no effect on viral replication. In human colorectal and pancreatic cancer cell lines, tipifarnib plus alphavirus M1 increased apoptosis compared with vehicle. In xenograft mouse models of colorectal and pancreatic cancers, the inhibitor-virus combination decreased tumor growth. Next steps could include testing the combination in additional models of colorectal and pancreatic cancers.

Johnson & Johnson and Kura Oncology Inc. have tipifarnib in Phase II and Phase III testing for a variety of cancers. J&J and Eiger BioPharmaceuticals Inc. have the compound in preclinical testing for hepatitis D virus (HDV) infection. ...