A First-in-Human Phase I Study of OPB-111077, a Small-Molecule STAT3 and Oxidative Phosphorylation Inhibitor, in

Anthony Tolcher1, Keith Flaherty2, Geoffrey I Shapiro3

  • 1South Texas Accelerated Research Therapeutics, San Antonio, Texas, USA.

The Oncologist
|March 8, 2018
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

This phase I trial investigated OPB-111077, a novel STAT3 and mitochondrial inhibitor, in advanced cancers. While generally well-tolerated, it showed modest overall efficacy, with a notable response in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • OPB-111077 is a novel STAT3 and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation inhibitor.
  • Preclinical studies showed promising anticancer activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Evaluate the safety and tolerability of OPB-111077 in a first-in-human phase I study.
  • Determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and pharmacokinetic profile.
  • Assess preliminary clinical activity in patients with advanced cancers.

Main Methods:

  • Open-label, phase I trial with dose escalation and expansion.
  • Patients received oral OPB-111077 daily in 28-day cycles.
  • Unselected patients with advanced cancers and no documented benefit from prior therapy were enrolled.

Main Results:

  • 145 subjects enrolled (18 in dose escalation, 127 in dose expansion).
  • Maximum tolerated dose (MTD) established at 250 mg QD; dose-limiting toxicities at 300-400 mg QD.
  • Common adverse events: nausea, fatigue, vomiting; generally mild to moderate.
  • Pharmacokinetics: ~1-day half-life, steady-state by day 8.
  • One durable partial response in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; stable disease or minor responses in 7 subjects.

Conclusions:

  • OPB-111077 is generally well-tolerated with adequate pharmacokinetics for further development.
  • Modest overall clinical activity observed in unselected advanced cancers.
  • Significant antitumor activity noted in one patient with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.

Related Concept Videos

Phosphorylation01:02

Phosphorylation

The addition or removal of phosphate groups from proteins is the most common chemical modification that regulates cellular processes. These modifications can affect the structure, activity, stability, and localization of proteins within cells as well as their interactions with other proteins.
During phosphorylation, protein kinases transfer the terminal phosphate group of ATP to specific amino acid side chains of substrate proteins. Serine, threonine, and tyrosine are the most commonly...
54.4K
Phase I Oxidative Reactions: Overview01:19

Phase I Oxidative Reactions: Overview

Phase I biotransformation, or functionalization, is a crucial chemical process that converts drugs and other xenobiotics into more water-soluble forms, facilitating expulsion from the body. It involves oxidative, reductive, and hydrolytic reactions that add or unveil polar functional groups on lipophilic substrates. Key players in phase I reactions are the mixed-function oxidases. Situated in liver cell microsomes, these enzymes predominantly carry out drug metabolism. They require molecular...
817
Oxidation and Reduction of Organic Molecules01:19

Oxidation and Reduction of Organic Molecules

Energy production within a cell involves many coordinated chemical pathways. Most of these pathways are combinations of oxidation and reduction reactions, which occur at the same time. An oxidation reaction strips an electron from an atom in a compound, and the addition of this electron to another compound is a reduction reaction. Because oxidation and reduction usually occur together, these pairs of reactions are called redox reactions.
The removal of an electron from a molecule, results in a...
9.5K
Negative Regulator Molecules01:23

Negative Regulator Molecules

Positive regulators allow a cell to advance through cell cycle checkpoints. Negative regulators have an equally important role as they terminate a cell’s progression through the cell cycle—or pause it—until the cell meets specific criteria.
38.6K
Positive Regulator Molecules01:45

Positive Regulator Molecules

To consistently produce healthy cells, the cell cycle—the process that generates daughter cells—must be precisely regulated.
136.5K
Pyruvate Oxidation01:15

Pyruvate Oxidation

After glycolysis, the charged pyruvate molecules enter the mitochondria via active transport and undergo three enzymatic reactions. These reactions ensure that pyruvate can enter the next metabolic pathway so that energy stored in the pyruvate molecules can be harnessed by the cells.
First, the enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase removes the carboxyl group from pyruvate and releases it as carbon dioxide. The stripped molecule is then oxidized and releases electrons, which are then picked up by NAD+...
169.4K