Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitors Pipeline Analysis -2022

Posted by Pramod Arya on April 13th, 2022

CDKs are protein kinases that require a separate subunit – a cyclin – which provides domains essential for enzymatic activity. The CDK family can be categorized into three cell-cycle-related subfamilies (CDK1, CDK4, and CDK5) and five transcriptional subfamilies (CDK7, CDK8, CDK9, CDK11, and CDK20). These protein kinases play a key role in controlling cell division and modulating transcription. Moreover, dysregulation of CDKs has been linked to cancer initiation and progression. Therefore, pharmacological CDK inhibition has emerged as a novel and promising approach in cancer therapy.

The Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitors inhibitors are proteins that constrain the activities of CDKs. These proteins can be broadly classified into CDK1, CDK2, CDK4, CDK5, and CDK6. The primarily function of CDK inhibitors is to block the proliferation of cells by blocking the G1 phase of cell cycle.

There are several companies that are involved in developing CDK inhibitors have shown positive clinical results in various phases of drug development. For instance, Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals Inc. announced results of the phase I safety, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of CYC065, a CDK2/9 inhibitor, in patients with advanced cancers. As per the results of the trial, CYC065 demonstrated effectiveness in suppressing the cancer survival protein Mcl-1 in peripheral blood for at least 24 hours. Therefore, it was concluded that the drug was safe and well tolerated.

Eli Lilly and Company, Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., MEI Pharma Inc., Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals Inc., Merck & Co., Tiziana Life Sciences, Onconova Therapeutics, Novartis International AG, and AstraZeneca plc are some of companies developing CDK inhibitors.