Selective estrogen receptor degrader

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A selective estrogen receptor degrader or downregulator (SERD) is a type of drug which binds to the estrogen receptor (ER) and, in the process of doing so, causes the ER to be degraded and thus downregulated. [1] They are used to treat estrogen receptor-sensitive or progesterone receptor-sensitive breast cancer, along with older classes of drugs like selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) and aromatase inhibitors. [1]

Contents

As of 2016 the only marketed SERD was fulvestrant (brand name Faslodex). [1] As of November 2016 other SERDs under development include brilanestrant and elacestrant. [2] The clinical success of fulvestrant led to efforts to discover and develop a parallel drug class of selective androgen receptor degraders (SARDs). [2]

Investigational

Fulvestrant requires large-volume and frequently painful intramuscular injections. [3] In response, pharmaceutical companies are currently developing oral SERDs. Among products in development are: [4]

The oral SERDs target ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer and are tested as monotherapy and in combination with other drugs such as the CDK inhibitor palbociclib (Ibrance). [5] [6] [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

Fulvestrant, sold under the brand name Faslodex among others, is an antiestrogenic medication used to treat hormone receptor (HR)-positive metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression as well as HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer in combination with abemaciclib or palbociclib in women with disease progression after endocrine therapy. It is given by injection into a muscle.

Hormonal therapy in oncology is hormone therapy for cancer and is one of the major modalities of medical oncology, others being cytotoxic chemotherapy and targeted therapy (biotherapeutics). It involves the manipulation of the endocrine system through exogenous or external administration of specific hormones, particularly steroid hormones, or drugs which inhibit the production or activity of such hormones. Because steroid hormones are powerful drivers of gene expression in certain cancer cells, changing the levels or activity of certain hormones can cause certain cancers to cease growing, or even undergo cell death. Surgical removal of endocrine organs, such as orchiectomy and oophorectomy can also be employed as a form of hormonal therapy.

Antiestrogens, also known as estrogen antagonists or estrogen blockers, are a class of drugs which prevent estrogens like estradiol from mediating their biological effects in the body. They act by blocking the estrogen receptor (ER) and/or inhibiting or suppressing estrogen production. Antiestrogens are one of three types of sex hormone antagonists, the others being antiandrogens and antiprogestogens. Antiestrogens are commonly used to stop steroid hormones, estrogen, from binding to the estrogen receptors leading to the decrease of estrogen levels. Decreased levels of estrogen can lead to complications in sexual development. Antiandrogens are sex hormone antagonists which are able to lower the production and the effects that testosterone can have on female bodies.

Antihormone therapy is a type of hormone therapy that suppresses selected hormones or their effects, in contrast with hormone replacement therapy, which encourages hormone activity.

A hormone-receptor-positive (HR+) tumor is a tumor which consists of cells that express receptors for certain hormones. The term most commonly refers to estrogen receptor positive tumors, but can also include progesterone receptor positive tumors. Estrogen-receptor-positive tumors depend on the presence of estrogen for ongoing proliferation.

A CDK inhibitor is any chemical that inhibits the function of CDKs. They are used to treat cancers by preventing overproliferation of cancer cells. The US FDA approved the first drug of this type, palbociclib (Ibrance), a CDK4/6 inhibitor, in February 2015, for use in postmenopausal women with breast cancer that is estrogen receptor positive and HER2 negative. While there are multiple cyclin/CDK complexes regulating the cell cycle, CDK inhibitors targeting CDK4/6 have been the most successful; four CDK4/6 inhibitors have been FDA approved. No inhibitors targeting other CDKs have been FDA approved, but several compounds are in clinical trials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palbociclib</span> Medication for HR+ HER2− breast cancer

Palbociclib, sold under the brand name Ibrance among others, is a medication developed by Pfizer for the treatment of HR-positive and HER2-negative breast cancer. It is a selective inhibitor of the cyclin-dependent kinases CDK4 and CDK6. Palbociclib was the first CDK4/6 inhibitor to be approved as a cancer therapy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buparlisib</span> Chemical compound

Buparlisib is an experimental anti-cancer medication. It is a small molecule orally-available pan-class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor. Buparlisib was under investigation as a treatment for advanced breast cancer but was abandoned due to negative results. It is still under investigation as a potential treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abemaciclib</span> Anti-breast cancer medication

Abemaciclib, sold under the brand name Verzenio among others, is a medication for the treatment of advanced or metastatic breast cancers. It was developed by Eli Lilly and it acts as a CDK inhibitor selective for CDK4 and CDK6.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brilanestrant</span> Discontinued oral cancer remedy

Brilanestrant (INN) is a nonsteroidal combined selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) and selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) that was discovered by Aragon Pharmaceuticals and was under development by Genentech for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elacestrant</span> Chemical compound

Elacestrant, sold under the brand name Orserdu, is an anticancer medication which is used in the treatment of breast cancer. It is taken by mouth.

Estrogen deprivation therapy, also known as endocrine therapy, is a form of hormone therapy that is used in the treatment of breast cancer. Modalities include antiestrogens or estrogen blockers such as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) like tamoxifen, selective estrogen receptor degraders like fulvestrant, and aromatase inhibitors like anastrozole and ovariectomy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Etacstil</span> Chemical compound

Etacstil is an orally active, nonsteroidal, combined selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) and selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) that was developed for the treatment of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. It was shown to overcome antiestrogen resistance in breast cancer by altering the shape of the estrogen receptor, thus exhibiting SERD properties. Etacstil is a tamoxifen derivative and one of the first drugs to overcome tamoxifen-resistance. It is the predecessor of GW-7604, of which etacstil is a prodrug. This is analogous to the case of tamoxifen being a prodrug of afimoxifene (4-hydroxytamoxifen).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endoxifen</span> Chemical compound

Endoxifen, also known as 4-hydroxy-N-desmethyltamoxifen, is a nonsteroidal selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) of the triphenylethylene group as well as a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor. It is under development for the treatment of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer and for the treatment of mania in bipolar disorder. It is taken by mouth.

ZB716, also known as fulvestrant-3-boronic acid, is a synthetic, steroidal, orally active antiestrogen which is under development for the treatment of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive metastatic breast cancer. The drug is a silent antagonist of the ERα (IC50 = 4.1 nM) as well as a selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD). It is an analogue and prodrug of fulvestrant in which the C3 hydroxyl group has been replaced with a boronic acid moiety. In accordance, the two drugs have similar pharmacodynamic properties. However, whereas fulvestrant is not orally active and must be administered via intramuscular injection, ZB716 is less susceptible to first-pass metabolism, and in relation to this, is orally active.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G1 Therapeutics</span> Pharmaceutical company

G1 Therapeutics, Inc. is an American biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The company specializes in developing and commercializing small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of patients with cancer.

Endocrine therapy is a common treatment for estrogen receptor positive breast cancer. However, resistance to this therapy can develop, leading to relapse and progression of disease. This highlights the need for new strategies to combat this resistance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inavolisib</span> Chemical compound

Inavolisib, or GDC-0077, is an investigational, highly selective inhibitor and degrader of mutant phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) alpha. The PI3K-mediated signalling pathway has shown to play an important role in the development of tumours as dysregulation is commonly associated with tumour growth and resistance to antineoplastic agents and radiotherapy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imlunestrant</span> Chemical compound

Imlunestrant is an experimental selective estrogen receptor degrader developed by Eli Lilly and Company for the treatment of some types of breast cancer.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lee, Clara I; Goodwin, Annabel; Wilcken, Nicholas (3 January 2017). "Fulvestrant for hormone-sensitive metastatic breast cancer". Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2017 (1): CD011093. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD011093.pub2. PMC   6464820 . PMID   28043088.
  2. 1 2 Lai, Ashton C.; Crews, Craig M. (February 2017). "Induced protein degradation: an emerging drug discovery paradigm". Nature Reviews Drug Discovery. 16 (2): 101–114. doi:10.1038/nrd.2016.211. PMC   5684876 . PMID   27885283.
  3. "Injection-Site Pain With Large-Volume Intramuscular Injection of Fulvestrant Can Be Minimized". PracticeUpdate. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
  4. "A blockbuster breast cancer niche has Roche and Sanofi in the lead". Evaluate.com. 2020-02-19. Retrieved 2020-12-28.
  5. "Rintodestrant | oral selective estrogen receptor degrader (SERD) | G1 Therapeutics, Inc". www.g1therapeutics.com. Retrieved 2021-01-09.
  6. Nalley, Catlin (5 February 2021). "Orally Bioavailable SERD Shows Promise in Certain Breast Cancer Patients". Oncology Times. 43 (3): 35. doi:10.1097/01.COT.0000734348.58210.24.
  7. Bardia, Aditya; Linden, Hannah M.; Ulaner, Gary A.; Chandarlapaty, Sarat; Gosselin, Alice; Celanovic, Marina; Campone, Mario (20 May 2019). "Phase 1/2 dose-escalation and expansion study investigating SAR439859 +/- palbociclib in postmenopausal women with estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/HER2- metastatic breast cancer". Journal of Clinical Oncology. 37 (15_suppl): TPS1105. doi:10.1200/JCO.2019.37.15_suppl.TPS1105. S2CID   190898194.