BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Cancer

July 25, 2017 8:43 PM UTC

Mouse studies suggest combining Mekinist trametinib with MAPK and CRAF inhibitors could help treat BRAF-dependent lung cancer and melanoma. In six PDX mouse models of BRAF-dependent lung cancer and five of BRAF-dependent melanoma, the dual MAP2K1/MAP2K2 inhibitor Mekinist plus MAPK and CRAF inhibitor tool compounds decreased tumor growth compared with no treatment. In two of the lung cancer models, Mekinist plus the MAPK and CRAF inhibitors decreased tumor growth compared with any of the agents alone. Next steps including clinical testing of Mekinist plus undisclosed MAPK and CRAF inhibitors in cancers with BRAF mutations.

Japan Tobacco Inc. and Novartis AG market Mekinist to treat melanoma, and have the compound approved to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), in Phase II testing to treat pancreatic cancer and relapsed or refractory solid tumors, in Phase I/II testing to treat metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and solid tumors in patients with V600 BRAF mutations, and preclinical testing to treat B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)...