Inflection Biosciences' dual mechanism inhibitor shows promise as treatment for CLL

Inflection Biosciences Ltd, a private company developing innovative therapeutics for cancer, today announced the publication of preclinical data showing the company's dual mechanism PIM/PI3 kinase inhibitor IBL-202 has promise as a treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). This research has been published in the most recent issue of the peer-reviewed British Journal of Haematology.

The preclinical research was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Oliver Giles Best of the Northern Blood Research Centre, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Australia, and a member of the CLL Australian Research Consortium (CLLARC), Sydney, Australia.

Despite significant advances in treatment, CLL remains an incurable disease. Given the growing body of evidence suggesting CLL cells may adapt to, survive and even proliferate under hypoxic conditions of the tumor microenvironment, new treatment options which are effective under these conditions are required.

These published results show that IBL‐202 is cytotoxic against CLL cells under in vitro conditions that mimic the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. The publication also demonstrates the significant effects of IBL‐202 on CD49d and CXCR4 gene expression and on the migration, cycling and proliferation of CLL cells, suggesting the drug may significantly impair the migratory and proliferative capacity of the leukemic cells.

Dr. Best, lead author on the publication, commented: "Collectively, this data demonstrates that dual inhibition of the PIM and PI3 kinases by IBL‐202 may be an effective strategy for targeting CLL cells, particularly within the environmental niches known to confer drug‐resistance."