Abstract 3780: Activity of the BET inhibitor INCB054329 in models of lymphoma
Authors: Stubbs Matthew , Collins Robert , Volgina Alla , Liu Mike , Favata Margaret , Rupar Mark , Wen Xiaomng , Sparks Richard , Maduskuie Thomas , Covington Maryanne , Burn Timothy , Ruggeri Bruce , Combs Andrew P. , Yao Wenqing , Huber Reid , Hollis Gregory , Scherle Peggy , Liu. Phillip CC 
Published: July 2016

Inhibitors of the BET family of Bromodomain proteins have been shown to be growth inhibitory across a spectrum of tumor types due to their ability to regulate expression of key survival and cell fate determining genes such as c-myc. Among the various tumor histologies, hematologic malignancies are among the most sensitive cancers to BET inhibition. INCB054329 is a novel, non-benzodiazepine, selective BET inhibitor that is undergoing Phase 1 clinical trials and that has shown encouraging in vitro and in vivo preclinical activity in several models of hematologic malignancy. In the current study, the activity of INCB054329 was evaluated in models of B cell malignancy. INCB54329 effectively inhibited the in vitro growth of a panel of cell lines representing both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Treated cells arrested primarily in G1 with sensitive lines also exhibiting dose and time-dependent apoptosis. Within a panel of double-hit lymphoma cell lines, which have activating chromosomal rearrangements in both c-myc and bcl-2, INCB054329 potently inhibited cell growth and was more effective than antagonists of BTK, bcl-2, PIM and PI3Kδ. INCB054329 also showed in vivo efficacy in models of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). As a single agent, oral administration of INCB054329 inhibited tumor growth in Pfeiffer (GBC) and WILL-2 (GCB, double-hit) subcutaneous xenograft models. The in vivo combination of bendamustine with INCB054329 enhanced anti-tumor efficacy compared with either agent alone in the Pfeiffer model, and the combination was well tolerated. A rational, targeted combination strategy was evaluated involving INCB054329 and a selective, orally active PI3Kδ inhibitor, INCB050465, which is currently in clinical trials in B cell malignancies. Combining INCB054329 with PI3Kδ inhibition markedly enhanced anti-tumor efficacy, increasing the incidence of partial tumor regressions in vivo. In this model, both INCB054329 and INCB050465 treatment led to a reduction in c-Myc protein levels, suggesting a convergence between modulation of BET transcriptional regulation and the PI3Kδ pathway. These data suggest that clinical investigation of INCB054329, both as monotherapy and in combination with standard of care or novel targeted therapies, in several classes of B cell lymphoma, including high risk double hit lymphoma, is warranted.

Citation Format: Matthew Stubbs, Robert Collins, Alla Volgina, Mike Liu, Margaret Favata, Mark Rupar, Xiaomng Wen, Richard Sparks, Thomas Maduskuie, Maryanne Covington, Timothy Burn, Bruce Ruggeri, Andrew P. Combs, Wenqing Yao, Reid Huber, Gregory Hollis, Peggy Scherle, Phillip CC Liu. Activity of the BET inhibitor INCB054329 in models of lymphoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3780.