Abstract 3315: Preclinical studies of TSN1611, a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable KRASG12D inhibitor
Authors: Shang Erchang , Zhong Boyu , Zhang Tony , Dong Chunlan , Ma Shengtang , Yang Anjiang , Jia Ziyang , Zheng Renjuan , Li Jing , Fu Han , Lai Liangbao 
Published: March 2024

Background: KRAS mutations are the most frequently encountered driver oncogene, involved in ~25% of all human cancers [1,2]. KRASG12D is the predominant KRAS mutation isoform, detected in approximately 35% of pancreatic cancer, 13% of colorectal cancer, and 5% of NSCLC [3]. Compared to KRASG12C, targeting KRASG12D has proven to be more challenging since the target protein lacks a reactive amino acid residue for irreversible inhibitory modification by a ligand. Herein, we disclose TSN1611, a potent and selective KRASG12D inhibitor, which possesses favorable oral PK profiles and demonstrates significant in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity in various KRASG12D-mutant models.

Method: Biochemical HTRF assay was used to measure the inhibition of TSN1611 to both GDP-bound and GTP-bound state of KRASG12D. Biophysical SPR method was used to directly measure the binding of TSN1611 to GDP-bound KRASG12D and KRASWT. Cell based activities were evaluated in a series of in vitro cell proliferation assay utilizing Ba/F3 cells engineered with KRASG12D or non-KRASG12D mutations and tumor cell lines harboring KRASG12D mutation. Human cancer cell-derived xenograft models of HPAC (pancreatic) and GP2D (colorectal) were used to evaluate its in vivo antitumor effect. in vitro and in vivo PK studies were performed in mouse, rat, and dog. Systematic nonclinical safety evaluations, including safety panel screen testing, safety pharmacology studies, and repeat-dose toxicity studies were carried out to assess its preliminary toxicity profile.

Results: TSN1611 inhibited both active (GTP-bound) and inactive (GDP-bound) forms of KRASG12D protein at IC50 1.23 and 1.49 nM, respectively; the KD value of its direct binding to KRASG12D protein is 1.93 pM in SPR assay. TSN1611 demonstrated potent anti-proliferation activity against several tumor cell lines harboring KRASG12D mutation, and excellent selectivity over cells of NRAS, HRAS, and other KRAS isoforms. It also showed dose-dependent anti-tumor efficacy in GP2D and HPAC models. Mechanism of action studies concluded that the antitumor effect of TSN1611 is resulted from its effective inhibition of KRAS signaling pathway. Oral bioavailability and safety profile across multiple species supported its further development.

Conclusion: TSN1611 is a selective KRASG12D inhibitor. It exhibited excellent selectivity and activity both in vitro and in vivo; it demonstrated favorable physicochemical properties, oral PK profiles, and brain penetration potential; it also showed acceptable margins of safety. The preclinical data supports further development. Pending regulatory submission and review, the phase I/II study is planned to start in H1 of 2024.

References: [1] Cox, A.D. et al. Nat. Rev. Drug. Discov. 2014, 13, 828. [2] Indini, A. et al. Pharmaceutics 2021, 13, 653. [3] Moore, A. R. et al. Nat. Rev. Drug. Discov. 2020, 19, 533.

Citation Format: Erchang Shang, Boyu Zhong, Tony Zhang, Chunlan Dong, Shengtang Ma, Anjiang Yang, Ziyang Jia, Renjuan Zheng, Jing Li, Han Fu, Liangbao Lai. Preclinical studies of TSN1611, a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable KRASG12D inhibitor [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 3315.