binimetinib and Leukemia--Myeloid--Acute

Relapsed and refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) continues to be a therapeutic challenge with poor outcomes. Dysregulation of the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase/extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) pathway frequently occurs in AML and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Preclinical studies and early-phase trials have shown promise for MAP-ERK kinase (MEK) inhibition in AML. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of the MEK 1/2 inhibitor binimetinib in advanced myeloid malignancies.. Nineteen patients with R/R AML and MDS, who were not candidates for intensive chemotherapy or with disease resistance or intolerance to standard treatment were enrolled in the present phase II study of binimetinib dosed twice daily continuously in 28-day cycles.. The median age of the cohort was 64 years (range, 31-85 years). These patients had received a median of 3 previous lines of therapy (range, 1-6). The median bone marrow blast percentage was 49% (range, 2%-94%), and 14 patients had RAS mutations. The patients received a median of 2 cycles (range, 1-4 cycles) of binimetinib and received treatment for a median duration of 1.2 months (range, 0.1-3.4 months). Sixteen patients (84%) received the 45-mg twice daily dose. The most common grade 3/4 treatment-emergent adverse events were hypokalemia (6%), hypotension (6%), lung infection (6%), and febrile neutropenia (6%). No treatment-related deaths occurred. One of the 13 evaluable patients (8%) achieved a complete response with incomplete blood count recovery lasting 2.1 months. The other 12 patients (92%) did not have a response. Six patients could not be evaluated.. Binimetinib had tolerable safety profile with a minimal response in RAS-mutant AML. Future studies should focus on better patient selection and synergistic combination therapies involving MEK inhibition.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Benzimidazoles; Female; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Male; Middle Aged; Mutation

Kinase inhibitors are important cancer therapeutics. Polypharmacology is commonly observed, requiring thorough target deconvolution to understand drug mechanism of action. Using chemical proteomics, we analyzed the target spectrum of 243 clinically evaluated kinase drugs. The data revealed previously unknown targets for established drugs, offered a perspective on the "druggable" kinome, highlighted (non)kinase off-targets, and suggested potential therapeutic applications. Integration of phosphoproteomic data refined drug-affected pathways, identified response markers, and strengthened rationale for combination treatments. We exemplify translational value by discovering SIK2 (salt-inducible kinase 2) inhibitors that modulate cytokine production in primary cells, by identifying drugs against the lung cancer survival marker MELK (maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase), and by repurposing cabozantinib to treat FLT3-ITD-positive acute myeloid leukemia. This resource, available via the ProteomicsDB database, should facilitate basic, clinical, and drug discovery research and aid clinical decision-making.

Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Cytokines; Drug Discovery; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3; Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Lung Neoplasms; Mice; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; Proteomics; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays