Abstract A278: ARQ 087, a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor with potent in vitro and in vivo activity in FGFR2 driven models.
Authors: Dransfield Daniel , Lee Jennifer , Waghorne Carol , Bull Cathy , Savage Ronald E. , Zhao Xiaolan , Yuan Shipeng , Chang Edward , Nakuci Enkeleda , Eathiraj Sudharshan , Cornell-Kennon Susan , Gu Xiubin , Ali Syed , Chen Chang-Rung 
Published: August 2014

Fibroblast growth factors (FGF) and their receptors (FGFR) play important roles in cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell migration, cell survival, protein synthesis, and angiogenesis. The FGFR family consists of four genes encoding tyrosine kinase receptors (FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, and FGFR4). Dysregulation of FGFR signaling has been implicated in a number of developmental syndromes as well as cancers, e.g., squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), gastric, liver, breast, ovarian, endometrial, and bladder carcinomas, fueling significant interest in FGFRs as targets for therapeutic intervention. ArQule, Inc. has discovered a novel, ATP competitive class of FGFR inhibitors from which ARQ 087 emerged as a candidate for advancement into clinical development. ARQ 087 is a potent multi-kinase inhibitor with pan-FGFR activity against FGFR1, FGFR2, mutant FGFR2 (N549H), FGFR3, and FGFR4 kinases, all exhibiting IC50 values in the low nanomolar range in biochemical assays. Ki versus FGFR1 and FGFR2 were 2.8nM and 0.68nM, respectively. ARQ 087 inhibited ectopically expressed FGFR1, 2, and 3 in COS-1 cells as well as, to a varying extent, the proliferation of BaF3 cells expressing the FGFR family of receptors (FGFR2≫FGFR1/FGFR3≫FGFR4). Cell proliferation studies suggested a correlation of FGFR2 mRNA amplification in gastric and other cancers with associated sensitivity to treatment with ARQ 087. Along these lines, ARQ 087 demonstrated potent inhibition of FGFR2 phosphorylation in NCI-H716, Kato III, SNU-16 and MFM223 cells; all demonstrated to be driven by FGFR2. The inhibition of cell growth was associated with an ARQ 087-induced G1 cell cycle arrest and subsequent induction in apoptosis that appears to be related to the levels of FGFR2 protein. Cell lines driven by FGFR2 activating mutations did not undergo apoptosis but did accumulate in G1 following ARQ 087 treatment. In vivo, ARQ 087 induced regressions in FGFR2-driven xenograft models (SNU-16, NCI-H716 and BaF3/FGFR2) and inhibited tumor progression in a model harboring an FGFR2-activating mutation (AN3CA). In addition, concentration-dependent inhibition of phosphorylation of FGFR2 and the downstream FGFR pathway signals (FRS2α, MEK, ERK, and AKT) was evident in response to ARQ 087 treatment in both in vitro and in vivo pharmacodynamic assays. In summary, ARQ 087 is an orally bioavailable kinase inhibitor with potent in vitro and in vivo activity in FGFR2 driven models, possessing good drug-like properties. A clinical development plan including a patient selection strategy is defined and the drug is currently in Phase I clinical studies.

Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):A278.

Citation Format: Daniel Dransfield, Jennifer Lee, Carol Waghorne, Cathy Bull, Ronald E. Savage, Xiaolan Zhao, Shipeng Yuan, Edward Chang, Enkeleda Nakuci, Sudharshan Eathiraj, Susan Cornell-Kennon, Xiubin Gu, Syed Ali, Chang-Rung Chen. ARQ 087, a multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor with potent in vitro and in vivo activity in FGFR2 driven models. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A278.