Bafetinib (NS-187, INNO-406) is a second-generation
tyrosine kinase inhibitor in development by
CytRx under license from Nippon Shinyaku for treating Bcr-Abl+
leukemia's, including
chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and Philadelphia+
acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It is a rationally developed
tyrosine kinase inhibitor based on the chemical structure of
imatinib, with modifications added to improve binding and potency against Bcr-Abl
kinase. Besides Abl,
bafetinib targets the
Src family kinase Lyn, which has been associated with resistance to
imatinib in CML. In preclinical studies,
bafetinib was 25- to 55-fold more potent than
imatinib in vitro and ≥ 10-fold more potent in vivo.
Bafetinib inhibits 12 of the 13 most frequent
imatinib-resistant Bcr-Abl point mutations, but not a Thr315Ile mutation. A small fraction of
bafetinib crosses the blood-brain barrier, reaching brain concentrations adequate for suppression of Bcr-Abl+ cells. Data from a phase I clinical trial conducted in patients with
imatinib-resistant or -intolerant CML have confirmed that
bafetinib has clinical activity in this setting, inducing a major cytogenetic response in 19% of those patients in chronic phase. Currently,
bafetinib is being developed in two phase II clinical trials for patients with
B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia and
prostate cancer, and a trial is in progress for patients with
brain tumors.