Date: 2017-08-08
Type of information: Clinical research agreement
Compound: SEL120
Company: Selvita (Poland) The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (USA - NY)
Therapeutic area: Cancer - Oncology
Type agreement: clinical research
Action mechanism:
- kinase inhibitor/cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor/CDK8 inhibitor. SEL120 is an ATP-competitive and selective inhibitor of CDK8 and a closely related serine kinase, CDK19. CDK8 is a part of a multi-protein complex that regulates gene expression and is distinct from CDK4 or CDK6, which play a role in cell cycle progression.
- In laboratory experiments, treatment with SEL120 has been shown to result in the death of acute myeloid leukemia cells especially with elevated phosphorylation of STAT5 and stem cell characteristics, which is significant because acute myeloid leukemia stem cells are typically resistant to conventional therapies and thereby mediate relapsed disease. Moreover, the status of phosphorylation of STAT5 may provide a useful biomarker for action of the drug.
- The molecular mechanism of action involves modulation of various oncogenic transcriptional programs that are critical to the survival of acute myeloid leukemia cells.
Disease: acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
Details:
- • On August 8, 2017, Selvita and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) announced a partnership to co-fund further preclinical and clinical development of SEL120 to treat patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Selvita has discovered and is developing this therapy that targets the cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8) protein, which plays a unique and critical role in gene regulation.
- Under the terms of the agreement, LLS will provide up to $3.25 million funding over 4 years, through its Therapy Acceleration Program® (TAP), in order to help fund further SEL120 IND-enabling studies and a Phase I trial in acute myeloid leukemia.
- LLS's Therapy Acceleration Program® (TAP) funds innovative projects related to therapies, supportive care or diagnostics that have the potential to change the standard of care for patients with blood cancer, especially in areas of high unmet medical need. Further development of the SEL120 project will be co-funded through the Biotechnology Accelerator Division, a strategic initiative to partner directly with biotechnology companies.
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