Abstract CT128: Phase 1 study of HSK29116, a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) agent, in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies
Authors: Li Jianyong , Xu Wei , Yan Pangke , Cao Yong , Hu Mengyue , Daley William 
Published: April 2023

BACKGROUND: BTK, a non-receptor kinase in the B-cell receptor signaling pathway, plays an essential role in B-cell development and differentiation. BTK is critical for malignant B-cell survival. Oral BTK inhibitors (BTKis), standard treatments for patients (pts) with B-cell malignancies, prevent proliferation and induce apoptosis of B cells. Currently approved BTKis covalently bind to BTK residue C481, irreversibly inhibiting phosphorylation of downstream kinases and blocking B-cell activation. Because these agents are often given continuously, their use may lead to clinical resistance and unacceptable toxicities. Indeed, acquired resistance to covalent BTKis is common and caused by the expansion of clones with a cysteine-to-serine mutation at residue 481.

A novel strategy being developed to overcome BTKi resistance, is PROTAC-induced degradation of BTK. PROTACs are small molecules with one domain that binds the target protein linked to another domain that binds to ubiquitin E3 ligase, resulting in ubiquitin-dependent proteasome degradation of the target protein. HSK29116 is a small BTK PROTAC molecule that is currently undergoing clinical investigation for the treatment of B-cell malignancies. In preclinical studies, HSK29116 overcame drug resistance caused by the C481S BTK mutation. Also, HSK29116 has demonstrated inhibition of B-cell proliferation without measurable loss of other BTK-family kinase activities. This kinase selectivity may limit some of the off-target toxicities seen with currently available BTKis.

METHODS: This first-in-human, multicenter, open-label, phase 1 study (NCT04861779) began recruiting in 2021 to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and pharmacodynamics of oral HSK29116. Eligible pts are ≥18 years old with diagnosis of a B-cell malignancy that has relapsed or become refractory to standard therapy (≥2 prior systemic therapies, which may have included a BTKi) and for which no other treatments known to provide clinical benefit exist. Pts must have an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status ≤2 and life expectancy &gt;3 months. Phase 1a includes dose escalation to identify dose-limiting toxicities and establish the maximum tolerated dose and/or recommended dose of HSK29116 for a phase 1b dose expansion, initiating in the US. Approximately 36 pts will be enrolled in phase 1a and 90 pts in phase 1b (≥40 pts must have previously received covalent BTKis). The primary endpoint is safety. Secondary endpoints include PK and investigator-assessed overall response rate, duration of response, time to response, and progression-free survival. Exploratory analyses will evaluate the relationship between HSK29116 anti-tumor activity and BTK gene mutations, as well as BTK protein degradation effects of HSK29116. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize all data.

Citation Format: Jianyong Li, Wei Xu, Pangke Yan, Yong Cao, Mengyue Hu, William Daley. Phase 1 study of HSK29116, a Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) proteolysis-targeting chimera (PROTAC) agent, in patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell malignancies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 2 (Clinical Trials and Late-Breaking Research); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(8_Suppl):Abstract nr CT128.