Inhibitors for Metastasized Breast Cancers

Background:

The National Cancer Institute's Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor (HDI) for breast cancer brain metastases.

The incidence of brain metastasis in breast cancer patients is increasing, as chemo- and molecular therapies improve systemic survival benefits. The majority of breast cancer deaths in the United States will be due to metastases of the primary breast cancer, with approximately 10%-20% of women with metastatic breast cancer developing brain metastasis. The median survival after diagnosis of brain metastasis is only one year. Few treatment options are available for cancer patients with central nervous system (CNS) metastasis because the blood-brain barrier severely limits drug access. There is a need for the development of new therapies to treat CNS metastases.

Technology:

This invention provides a method of treating CNS metastatic disease originating from the breast and/or other organs with a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor (HDI). The HDI can be any HDI that is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) such as vorinostat. Use of vorinostat to treat CNS metastases is particularly attractive because the drug has been approved by the FDA and will require less testing for use in other indications. In addition to CNS metastases resulting from breast cancer, the methods described in this invention have the potential to be effective in treating metastases resulting from colon, liver, lung, and prostate cancers.

Further R&D Needed:

• Mechanistic studies are underway to delineate mechanism of action
• Combination studies are needed with radiation and other agents

R&D Status:
In vivo animal model data available with vorinostat

IP Status:
U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/891,856 filed 02 Feb 2007

Value Proposition:

• There are no chemotherapeutic agents with demonstrated efficacy against brain metastases of breast cancer. This is particularly true for the triple negative subset of breast cancers. The preclinical data which form the basis of this patent indicate that vorinostat and other agents may be capable of preventing the outgrowth of this disease.
• Method to treat CNS metastasis resulting from breast and other forms of cancer.

Contact Information:
John D. Hewes, Ph.D., NCI Technology Transfer Center
Phone: 301-435-3121
E-mail: Hewesj@mail.nih.gov

Reference:  #571 LF

Posted 11/06/2007