Year 3

Drug discovery programs against two different mitotic kinases are being pursued. Both programs follow the same general process flow in which lead optimization experiments culminate in the selection of a single small molecule candidate for advancement to preclinical development. The development candidate then proceeds through a standard series of evaluations to establish its suitability for an IND submission and use in subsequent clinical trials.
CFI-400945 was selected as a clinical development candidate. The IND-enabling studies included the selection of the fumarate salt as the final salt form, and the production of two kilogram-scale clinical batches, which have been released during the past year. The compound is stable when stored under typical storage conditions, and has an impurity profile that is safe for clinical dosing. In cancer models in mice, CFI-400945 was shown to be particularly effective against specific subsets of tumor cell lines in both tumor cells grown in soft agar and in xenograft models. Experiments are ongoing to determine biomarkers of response to CFI-400945 for application in the clinic. Pharmatek was engaged to assist in the development of a drug formulation that enhanced the stability of CFI-400945, and maximized the bioavailability of the compound when dosed orally. Other CRO work that was completed included in vitro pharmacology experiments geared toward understanding how CFI-400945 might interact with co-administered drugs, and performing key toxicology experiments in animals for determination of a safe and effective clinical dose of the compound. This work culminated in an IND submission in the second quarter of 2013.
The drug discovery efforts in the second program has focused on improving the pharmacokinetic properties of the lead series molecules while maintaining excellent in vitro activity. Approximately 400 new chemical entities were synthesized and tested using a battery of biochemical and cell-based assays. Off target activity towards Aurora B has simultaneously been attenuated, and current compounds demonstrate improved selectivity against a diverse panel of kinases. Progress was aided by the acquisition of multiple co-complex x-ray structures which allowed for further refinement of binding models to the target’s active site. Compounds were qualified for in vivo study based on the induction of an aneuploid phenotype at an order of magnitude above the HCT116 (colon adenocarcinoma cell line) GI50, and importantly the demonstration high mouse plasma levels upon oral dosing. Mouse xenograft studies based on a number of tumor cell lines were used to select a short list of compounds. The aggregate data was then used to select a developmental candidate CFI-1870. IND enabling studies have been launched. In parallel, detailed dose and schedule studies are underway along with approaches to identify susceptible tumor subpopulations and associated biomarkers that will eventually support a targeted clinical trial.