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Akt inhibitors in clinical development for the treatment of cancer

Sumanta Kumar Pal1, Karen Reckamp, Hua Yu

  • 1City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Medical Oncology & Experimental Therapeutics, 1500 East Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA. spal@coh.org

Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs
|September 18, 2010
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

This review details the development of Akt inhibitors, crucial for targeted cancer therapies. We explore the current pipeline of these agents to guide future clinical applications and identify promising candidates.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Targeted therapies rely on identifying druggable cellular targets.
  • The serine-threonine kinase Akt, implicated in cell growth and proliferation, has emerged as a key target.
  • Several Akt-antagonizing agents are currently in clinical development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the development of promising Akt inhibitors.
  • To provide insight into the current pipeline of Akt-targeting agents.
  • To outline strategies for determining the future clinical utility of these drugs.

Main Methods:

  • Review of preclinical and clinical data for Akt inhibitors.
  • Identification and categorization of agents including perifosine, MK-2206, RX-0201, PBI-05204, and GSK2141795.
  • Analysis of the clinical and preclinical examination of these agents.

Main Results:

  • An overview of the current Akt inhibitor drug pipeline is presented.
  • The extent of clinical and preclinical investigation for each agent is detailed.
  • Insight into the therapeutic potential and developmental stage of various Akt inhibitors is provided.

Conclusions:

  • The growing pipeline of Akt inhibitors necessitates careful evaluation to identify the most promising candidates.
  • Strategies for assessing the future clinical application of these agents are discussed.
  • This review aids in understanding the landscape of Akt-targeted therapies and their potential impact on cancer treatment.

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