Journal Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience October 2011 .
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P.D.: All Rights Reserved © 2011
Protein kinases (PK) have provided drug targets that have yielded innovative and highly effective therapeutics for cancer treatment. These include small molecule PK inhibitors such as Novartis’ Gleevec, Pfizer’s Sutent, GlaxoSmithKline’s Tykerb, and Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Sprycel. PK inhibitors now comprise over 30% of most major pharmaceutical companies’ pipelines. By 2020, small molecule kinase inhibitors are expected to collectively generate annual revenues of over $25 billion.
The success of kinase inhibitors in cancer has spurred research to develop similar compounds for other diseases including neurodegenerative disorders. But how close to the clinic are kinase inhibitors for central nervous system (CNS) diseases? Noscira has one drug candidate that is in Phase II for supranuclear palsy and is also ready to enter mid-stage trials in Alzheimer disease (AD).
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Clinical Development
Noscira is the only company with a clinical-stage kinase inhibitor for a neurodegenerative disease, however. Its candidate, a small molecule GSK-3beta inhibitor called tideglusib, has orphan drug designation in the EU and fast-track status in the U.S. Last October Noscira said it had completed recruitment for its Phase II trial in supranuclear palsy.