2. Academic Validation
  3. Discovery, Preclinical Characterization, and Early Clinical Activity of JDQ443, a Structurally Novel, Potent, and Selective Covalent Oral Inhibitor of KRASG12C

Discovery, Preclinical Characterization, and Early Clinical Activity of JDQ443, a Structurally Novel, Potent, and Selective Covalent Oral Inhibitor of KRASG12C

  • Cancer Discov. 2022 Jun 2;12(6):1500-1517. doi: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-22-0158.
Andreas Weiss  # 1,  Edwige Lorthiois  # 1,  Louise Barys 1,  Kim S Beyer 1,  Claudio Bomio-Confaglia 1,  Heather Burks 2,  Xueying Chen 3,  Xiaoming Cui 3,  Ruben de Kanter 1,  Lekshmi Dharmarajan 1,  Carmine Fedele 2,  Marc Gerspacher 1,  Daniel Alexander Guthy 1,  Victoria Head 1,  Ashley Jaeger 2,  Eloísa Jiménez Núñez 1,  Jeffrey D Kearns 2,  Catherine Leblanc 1,  Sauveur-Michel Maira 1,  Jason Murphy 2,  Helen Oakman 2,  Nils Ostermann 1,  Johannes Ottl 1,  Pascal Rigollier 1,  Danielle Roman 1,  Christian Schnell 1,  Richard Sedrani 1,  Toshio Shimizu 4,  Rowan Stringer 1,  Andrea Vaupel 1,  Hans Voshol 1,  Peter Wessels 5,  Toni Widmer 5,  Rainer Wilcken 1,  Kun Xu 3,  Frederic Zecri 2,  Anna F Farago  # 2,  Simona Cotesta  # 1,  Saskia M Brachmann  # 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland.
  • 2 Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  • 3 Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, New Jersey.
  • 4 National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
  • 5 Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.
  • # Contributed equally.
PMID: 35404998 DOI: 10.1158/2159-8290.CD-22-0158
Abstract

Covalent inhibitors of KRASG12C have shown antitumor activity against advanced/metastatic KRASG12C-mutated cancers, though resistance emerges and additional strategies are needed to improve outcomes. JDQ443 is a structurally unique covalent inhibitor of GDP-bound KRASG12C that forms novel interactions with the switch II pocket. JDQ443 potently inhibits KRASG12C-driven cellular signaling and demonstrates selective antiproliferative activity in KRASG12C-mutated cell lines, including those with G12C/H95 double mutations. In vivo, JDQ443 induces AUC exposure-driven antitumor efficacy in KRASG12C-mutated cell-derived (CDX) and patient-derived (PDX) tumor xenografts. In PDX models, single-agent JDQ443 activity is enhanced by combination with inhibitors of SHP2, MEK, or CDK4/6. Notably, the benefit of JDQ443 plus the SHP2 Inhibitor TNO155 is maintained at reduced doses of either agent in CDX models, consistent with mechanistic synergy. JDQ443 is in clinical development as monotherapy and in combination with TNO155, with both strategies showing antitumor activity in patients with KRASG12C-mutated tumors.

Significance: JDQ443 is a structurally novel covalent KRASG12C inhibitor with a unique binding mode that demonstrates potent and selective antitumor activity in cell lines and in vivo models. In preclinical models and patients with KRASG12C-mutated malignancies, JDQ443 shows potent antitumor activity as monotherapy and in combination with the SHP2 Inhibitor TNO155. This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1397.

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