Genomic discovery of an evolutionarily programmed modality for small-molecule targeting of an intractable protein surface.

The vast majority of intracellular protein targets are refractory toward small-molecule therapeutic engagement, and additional therapeutic modalities are needed to overcome this deficiency. Here, the identification and characterization of a natural product, WDB002, reveals a therapeutic modality that dramatically expands the currently accepted limits of druggability. WDB002, in complex with the FK506-binding protein (FKBP12), potently and selectively binds the human centrosomal protein 250 (CEP250), resulting in disruption of CEP250 function in cells. The recognition mode is unprecedented in that the targeted domain of CEP250 is a coiled coil and is topologically featureless, embodying both a structural motif and surface topology previously considered on the extreme limits of "undruggability" for an intracellular target. Structural studies reveal extensive protein-WDB002 and protein-protein contacts, with the latter being distinct from those seen in FKBP12 ternary complexes formed by FK506 and rapamycin. Outward-facing structural changes in a bound small molecule can thus reprogram FKBP12 to engage diverse, otherwise "undruggable" targets. The flat-targeting modality demonstrated here has the potential to expand the druggable target range of small-molecule therapeutics. As CEP250 was recently found to be an interaction partner with the Nsp13 protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 disease, it is possible that WDB002 or an analog may exert useful antiviral activity through its ability to form high-affinity ternary complexes containing CEP250 and FKBP12.

The DOT1L inhibitor pinometostat reduces H3K79 methylation and has modest clinical activity in adult acute leukemia.

Pinometostat (EPZ-5676) is a first-in-class small-molecule inhibitor of the histone methyltransferase disrupter of telomeric silencing 1-like (DOT1L). In this phase 1 study, pinometostat was evaluated for safety and efficacy in adult patients with advanced acute leukemias, particularly those involving mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene rearrangements (MLL-r) resulting from 11q23 translocations. Fifty-one patients were enrolled into 6 dose-escalation cohorts (n = 26) and 2 expansion cohorts (n = 25) at pinometostat doses of 54 and 90 mg/m2 per day by continuous intravenous infusion in 28-day cycles. Because a maximum tolerated dose was not established in the dose-escalation phase, the expansion doses were selected based on safety and clinical response data combined with pharmacodynamic evidence of reduction in H3K79 methylation during dose escalation. Across all dose levels, plasma pinometostat concentrations increased in an approximately dose-proportional fashion, reaching an apparent steady-state by 4-8 hours after infusion, and rapidly decreased following treatment cessation. The most common adverse events, of any cause, were fatigue (39%), nausea (39%), constipation (35%), and febrile neutropenia (35%). Overall, 2 patients, both with t(11;19), experienced complete remission at 54 mg/m2 per day by continuous intravenous infusion, demonstrating proof of concept for delivering clinically meaningful responses through targeting DOT1L using the single agent pinometostat in MLL-r leukemia patients. Administration of pinometostat was generally safe, with the maximum tolerated dose not being reached, although efficacy as a single agent was modest. This study demonstrates the therapeutic potential for targeting DOT1L in MLL-r leukemia and lays the groundwork for future combination approaches in this patient population. This clinical trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01684150.

A selective inhibitor of PRMT5 with in vivo and in vitro potency in MCL models.

Protein arginine methyltransferase-5 (PRMT5) is reported to have a role in diverse cellular processes, including tumorigenesis, and its overexpression is observed in cell lines and primary patient samples derived from lymphomas, particularly mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Here we describe the identification and characterization of a potent and selective inhibitor of PRMT5 with antiproliferative effects in both in vitro and in vivo models of MCL. EPZ015666 (GSK3235025) is an orally available inhibitor of PRMT5 enzymatic activity in biochemical assays with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 22 nM and broad selectivity against a panel of other histone methyltransferases. Treatment of MCL cell lines with EPZ015666 led to inhibition of SmD3 methylation and cell death, with IC50 values in the nanomolar range. Oral dosing with EPZ015666 demonstrated dose-dependent antitumor activity in multiple MCL xenograft models. EPZ015666 represents a validated chemical probe for further study of PRMT5 biology and arginine methylation in cancer and other diseases.

Durable tumor regression in genetically altered malignant rhabdoid tumors by inhibition of methyltransferase EZH2.

Inactivation of the switch/sucrose nonfermentable complex component SMARCB1 is extremely prevalent in pediatric malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRTs) or atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors. This alteration is hypothesized to confer oncogenic dependency on EZH2 in these cancers. We report the discovery of a potent, selective, and orally bioavailable small-molecule inhibitor of EZH2 enzymatic activity, (N-((4,6-dimethyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl)methyl)-5-(ethyl(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yl)amino)-4-methyl-4'-(morpholinomethyl)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-3-carboxamide). The compound induces apoptosis and differentiation specifically in SMARCB1-deleted MRT cells. Treatment of xenograft-bearing mice with (N-((4,6-dimethyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydropyridin-3-yl)methyl)-5-(ethyl(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-4-yl)amino)-4-methyl-4'-(morpholinomethyl)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-3-carboxamide) leads to dose-dependent regression of MRTs with correlative diminution of intratumoral trimethylation levels of lysine 27 on histone H3, and prevention of tumor regrowth after dosing cessation. These data demonstrate the dependency of SMARCB1 mutant MRTs on EZH2 enzymatic activity and portend the utility of EZH2-targeted drugs for the treatment of these genetically defined cancers.

Leukemic transformation by the MLL-AF6 fusion oncogene requires the H3K79 methyltransferase Dot1l.

The t(6;11)(q27;q23) is a recurrent chromosomal rearrangement that encodes the MLLAF6 fusion oncoprotein and is observed in patients with diverse hematologic malignancies. The presence of the t(6;11)(q27;q23) has been linked to poor overall survival in patients with AML. In this study, we demonstrate that MLL-AF6 requires continued activity of the histone-methyltransferase DOT1L to maintain expression of the MLL-AF6-driven oncogenic gene-expression program. Using gene-expression analysis and genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitation studies followed by next generation sequencing, we found that MLL-fusion target genes display markedly high levels of histone 3 at lysine 79 (H3K79) dimethylation in murine MLL-AF6 leukemias as well as in ML2, a human myelomonocytic leukemia cell line bearing the t(6;11)(q27;q23) translocation. Targeted disruption of Dot1l using a conditional knockout mouse model inhibited leukemogenesis mediated by the MLL-AF6 fusion oncogene. Moreover, both murine MLL-AF6-transformed cells as well as the human MLL-AF6-positive ML2 leukemia cell line displayed specific sensitivity to EPZ0004777, a recently described, selective, small-molecule inhibitor of Dot1l. Dot1l inhibition resulted in significantly decreased proliferation, decreased expression of MLL-AF6 target genes, and cell cycle arrest of MLL-AF6-transformed cells. These results indicate that patients bearing the t(6;11)(q27;q23) translocation may benefit from therapeutic agents targeting aberrant H3K79 methylation.

Potent inhibition of DOT1L as treatment of MLL-fusion leukemia.

Rearrangements of the MLL gene define a genetically distinct subset of acute leukemias with poor prognosis. Current treatment options are of limited effectiveness; thus, there is a pressing need for new therapies for this disease. Genetic and small molecule inhibitor studies have demonstrated that the histone methyltransferase DOT1L is required for the development and maintenance of MLL-rearranged leukemia in model systems. Here we describe the characterization of EPZ-5676, a potent and selective aminonucleoside inhibitor of DOT1L histone methyltransferase activity. The compound has an inhibition constant value of 80 pM, and demonstrates 37 000-fold selectivity over all other methyltransferases tested. In cellular studies, EPZ-5676 inhibited H3K79 methylation and MLL-fusion target gene expression and demonstrated potent cell killing that was selective for acute leukemia lines bearing MLL translocations. Continuous IV infusion of EPZ-5676 in a rat xenograft model of MLL-rearranged leukemia caused complete tumor regressions that were sustained well beyond the compound infusion period with no significant weight loss or signs of toxicity. EPZ-5676 is therefore a potential treatment of MLL-rearranged leukemia and is under clinical investigation.

DOT1L inhibitor EPZ-5676 displays synergistic antiproliferative activity in combination with standard of care drugs and hypomethylating agents in MLL-rearranged leukemia cells.

EPZ-5676 [(2R,3R,4S,5R)-2-(6-amino-9H-purin-9-yl)-5-((((1r,3S)-3-(2-(5-(tert-butyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)ethyl)cyclobutyl)(isopropyl)amino)methyl)tetrahydrofuran-3,4-diol], a small-molecule inhibitor of the protein methyltransferase DOT1L, is currently under clinical investigation for acute leukemias bearing MLL-rearrangements (MLL-r). In this study, we evaluated EPZ-5676 in combination with standard of care (SOC) agents for acute leukemias as well as other chromatin-modifying drugs in cellular assays with three human acute leukemia cell lines: MOLM-13 (MLL-AF9), MV4-11 (MLL-AF4), and SKM-1 (non-MLL-r). Studies were performed to evaluate the antiproliferative effects of EPZ-5676 combinations in a cotreatment model in which the second agent was added simultaneously with EPZ-5676 at the beginning of the assay, or in a pretreatment model in which cells were incubated for several days in the presence of EPZ-5676 prior to the addition of the second agent. EPZ-5676 was found to act synergistically with the acute myeloid leukemia (AML) SOC agents cytarabine or daunorubicin in MOLM-13 and MV4-11 MLL-r cell lines. EPZ-5676 is selective for MLL-r cell lines as demonstrated by its lack of effect either alone or in combination in the nonrearranged SKM-1 cell line. In MLL-r cells, the combination benefit was observed even when EPZ-5676 was washed out prior to the addition of the chemotherapeutic agents, suggesting that EPZ-5676 sets up a durable, altered chromatin state that enhances the chemotherapeutic effects. Our evaluation of EPZ-5676 in conjunction with other chromatin-modifying drugs also revealed a consistent combination benefit, including synergy with DNA hypomethylating agents. These results indicate that EPZ-5676 is highly efficacious as a single agent and synergistically acts with other chemotherapeutics, including AML SOC drugs and DNA hypomethylating agents in MLL-r cells.

A selective inhibitor of EZH2 blocks H3K27 methylation and kills mutant lymphoma cells.

EZH2 catalyzes trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27). Point mutations of EZH2 at Tyr641 and Ala677 occur in subpopulations of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, where they drive H3K27 hypertrimethylation. Here we report the discovery of EPZ005687, a potent inhibitor of EZH2 (K(i) of 24 nM). EPZ005687 has greater than 500-fold selectivity against 15 other protein methyltransferases and has 50-fold selectivity against the closely related enzyme EZH1. The compound reduces H3K27 methylation in various lymphoma cells; this translates into apoptotic cell killing in heterozygous Tyr641 or Ala677 mutant cells, with minimal effects on the proliferation of wild-type cells. These data suggest that genetic alteration of EZH2 (for example, mutations at Tyr641 or Ala677) results in a critical dependency on enzymatic activity for proliferation (that is, the equivalent of oncogene addiction), thus portending the clinical use of EZH2 inhibitors for cancers in which EZH2 is genetically altered.

Nonclinical pharmacokinetics and metabolism of EPZ-5676, a novel DOT1L histone methyltransferase inhibitor.

(2R,3R,4S,5R)-2-(6-Amino-9H-purin-9-yl)-5-((((1r,3S)-3-(2-(5-(tert-butyl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)ethyl)cyclobutyl)(isopropyl)amino)methyl)tetrahydrofuran-3,4-diol (EPZ-5676) is a novel DOT1L histone methyltransferase inhibitor currently in clinical development for the treatment of MLL-rearranged leukemias. This report describes the preclinical pharmacokinetics and metabolism of EPZ-5676, an aminonucleoside analog with exquisite target potency and selectivity that has shown robust and durable tumor growth inhibition in preclinical models. The in vivo pharmacokinetics in mouse, rat and dog were characterized following i.v. and p.o. administration; EPZ-5676 had moderate to high clearance, low oral bioavailability with a steady-state volume of distribution 2-3 fold higher than total body water. EPZ-5676 showed biexponential kinetics following i.v. administration, giving rise to a terminal elimination half-life (t1/2 ) of 1.1, 3.7 and 13.6 h in mouse, rat and dog, respectively. The corresponding in vitro ADME parameters were also studied and utilized for in vitro-in vivo extrapolation purposes. There was good agreement between the microsomal clearance and the in vivo clearance implicating hepatic oxidative metabolism as the predominant elimination route in preclinical species. Furthermore, low renal clearance was observed in mouse, approximating to fu -corrected glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and thus passive glomerular filtration. The metabolic pathways across species were studied in liver microsomes in which EPZ-5676 was metabolized to three monohydroxylated metabolites (M1, M3 and M5), one N-dealkylated product (M4) as well as an N-oxide (M6).

Coordinated activities of wild-type plus mutant EZH2 drive tumor-associated hypertrimethylation of lysine 27 on histone H3 (H3K27) in human B-cell lymphomas.

EZH2, the catalytic subunit of the PRC2 complex, catalyzes the mono- through trimethylation of lysine 27 on histone H3 (H3K27). Histone H3K27 trimethylation is a mechanism for suppressing transcription of specific genes that are proximal to the site of histone modification. Point mutations of the EZH2 gene (Tyr641) have been reported to be linked to subsets of human B-cell lymphoma. The mutant allele is always found associated with a wild-type allele (heterozygous) in disease cells, and the mutations were reported to ablate the enzymatic activity of the PRC2 complex for methylating an unmodified peptide substrate. Here we demonstrate that the WT enzyme displays greatest catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K) for the zero to monomethylation reaction of H3K27 and diminished efficiency for subsequent (mono- to di- and di- to trimethylation) reactions. In stark contrast, the disease-associated Y641 mutations display very limited ability to perform the first methylation reaction, but have enhanced catalytic efficiency for the subsequent reactions, relative to the WT enzyme. These results imply that the malignant phenotype of disease requires the combined activities of a H3K27 monomethylating enzyme (PRC2 containing WT EZH2 or EZH1) together with the mutant PRC2s for augmented conversion of H3K27 to the trimethylated form. To our knowledge, this is the first example of a human disease that is dependent on the coordinated activities of normal and disease-associated mutant enzymatic function.

Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of PDK1 in cancer cells: characterization of a selective allosteric kinase inhibitor.

Phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) is a critical activator of multiple prosurvival and oncogenic protein kinases and has garnered considerable interest as an oncology drug target. Despite progress characterizing PDK1 as a therapeutic target, pharmacological support is lacking due to the prevalence of nonspecific inhibitors. Here, we benchmark literature and newly developed inhibitors and conduct parallel genetic and pharmacological queries into PDK1 function in cancer cells. Through kinase selectivity profiling and x-ray crystallographic studies, we identify an exquisitely selective PDK1 inhibitor (compound 7) that uniquely binds to the inactive kinase conformation (DFG-out). In contrast to compounds 1-5, which are classical ATP-competitive kinase inhibitors (DFG-in), compound 7 specifically inhibits cellular PDK1 T-loop phosphorylation (Ser-241), supporting its unique binding mode. Interfering with PDK1 activity has minimal antiproliferative effect on cells growing as plastic-attached monolayer cultures (i.e. standard tissue culture conditions) despite reduced phosphorylation of AKT, RSK, and S6RP. However, selective PDK1 inhibition impairs anchorage-independent growth, invasion, and cancer cell migration. Compound 7 inhibits colony formation in a subset of cancer cell lines (four of 10) and primary xenograft tumor lines (nine of 57). RNAi-mediated knockdown corroborates the PDK1 dependence in cell lines and identifies candidate biomarkers of drug response. In summary, our profiling studies define a uniquely selective and cell-potent PDK1 inhibitor, and the convergence of genetic and pharmacological phenotypes supports a role of PDK1 in tumorigenesis in the context of three-dimensional in vitro culture systems.

High-Throughput Quantitative Assay Technologies for Accelerating the Discovery and Optimization of Targeted Protein Degradation Therapeutics.

The aberrant regulation of protein expression and function can drastically alter cellular physiology and lead to numerous pathophysiological conditions such as cancer, inflammatory diseases, and neurodegeneration. The steady-state expression levels of endogenous proteins are controlled by a balance of de novo synthesis rates and degradation rates. Moreover, the levels of activated proteins in signaling cascades can be further modulated by a variety of posttranslational modifications and protein-protein interactions. The field of targeted protein degradation is an emerging area for drug discovery in which small molecules are used to recruit E3 ubiquitin ligases to catalyze the ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of disease-causing target proteins by the proteasome in both a dose- and time-dependent manner. Traditional approaches for quantifying protein level changes in cells, such as Western blots, are typically low throughput with limited quantification, making it hard to drive the rapid development of therapeutics that induce selective, rapid, and sustained protein degradation. In the last decade, a number of techniques and technologies have emerged that have helped to accelerate targeted protein degradation drug discovery efforts, including the use of fluorescent protein fusions and reporter tags, flow cytometry, time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer (TR-FRET), and split luciferase systems. Here we discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with these technologies and their application to the development and optimization of degraders as therapeutics.

Regulation of endogenous gene expression with a small-molecule dimerizer.

Artificial transcription factors containing designer zinc-finger DNA-binding domains (DBDs) have been used to activate or repress expression of a growing number of endogenous genes. We have combined targeted zinc-finger DBD technology with a dimerizer-regulated gene expression system to permit the small-molecule control of endogenous gene transcription. We constructed a dimerizer-responsive transcription factor that incorporates an artificial zinc-finger DBD targeted to the promoter of the human VEGF gene. Introduction of this activator into human cells allowed expression of the chromosomal VEGF gene to be induced by a small-molecule dimerizer compound consisting of a nonimmunosuppressive rapamycin analog. We found that by directly regulating zinc-finger protein (ZFP) activity, we could circumvent difficulties encountered in the generation of cell lines stably expressing conventional unregulated activators. Dimerizer-dependent VEGF induction was rapid, tight, and dose dependent, and resulted in VEGF protein expression levels several-fold greater than those produced by the natural hypoxic response.

Mechanisms of Pinometostat (EPZ-5676) Treatment-Emergent Resistance in MLL-Rearranged Leukemia.

DOT1L is a protein methyltransferase involved in the development and maintenance of MLL-rearranged (MLL-r) leukemia through its ectopic methylation of histones associated with well-characterized leukemic genes. Pinometostat (EPZ-5676), a selective inhibitor of DOT1L, is in clinical development in relapsed/refractory acute leukemia patients harboring rearrangements of the MLL gene. The observation of responses and subsequent relapses in the adult trial treating MLL-r patients motivated preclinical investigations into potential mechanisms of pinometostat treatment-emergent resistance (TER) in cell lines confirmed to have MLL-r. TER was achieved in five MLL-r cell lines, KOPN-8, MOLM-13, MV4-11, NOMO-1, and SEM. Two of the cell lines, KOPN-8 and NOMO-1, were thoroughly characterized to understand the mechanisms involved in pinometostat resistance. Unlike many other targeted therapies, resistance does not appear to be achieved through drug-induced selection of mutations of the target itself. Instead, we identified both drug efflux transporter dependent and independent mechanisms of resistance to pinometostat. In KOPN-8 TER cells, increased expression of the drug efflux transporter ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein, MDR1) was the primary mechanism of drug resistance. In contrast, resistance in NOMO-1 cells occurs through a mechanism other than upregulation of a specific efflux pump. RNA-seq analysis performed on both parental and resistant KOPN-8 and NOMO-1 cell lines supported two unique candidate pathway mechanisms that may explain the pinometostat resistance observed in these cell lines. These results are the first demonstration of TER models of the DOT1L inhibitor pinometostat and may provide useful tools for investigating clinical resistance. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(8); 1669-79. ©2017 AACR.

Correction: Preclinical Evidence of Anti-Tumor Activity Induced by EZH2 Inhibition in Human Models of Synovial Sarcoma.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0158888.].

Metabolism and disposition of the DOT1L inhibitor, pinometostat (EPZ-5676), in rat, dog and human.

PURPOSE: The metabolism and disposition of the first-in-class DOT1L inhibitor, EPZ-5676 (pinometostat), was investigated in rat and dog. Metabolite profiles were compared with those from adult patients in the first-in-man phase 1 study as well as the cross-species metabolism observed in vitro. METHODS: EPZ-5676 was administered to rat and dog as a 24-h IV infusion of [(14)C]-EPZ-5676 for determination of pharmacokinetics, mass balance, metabolite profiling and biodistribution by quantitative whole-body autoradiography (QWBA). Metabolite profiling and identification was performed by radiometric and LC-MS/MS analysis. RESULTS: Fecal excretion was the major route of elimination, representing 79 and 81% of the total dose in and rat and dog, respectively. QWBA in rats showed that the radioactivity was well distributed in the body, except for the central nervous system, and the majority of radioactivity was eliminated from most tissues by 168 h. Fecal recovery of dose-related material in bile duct-cannulated animals as well as higher radioactivity concentrations in the wall of the large intestine relative to liver implicated intestinal secretion as well as biliary elimination. EPZ-5676 underwent extensive oxidative metabolism with the major metabolic pathways being hydroxylation of the t-butyl group (EPZ007769) and N-dealkylation of the central nitrogen. Loss of adenine from parent EPZ-5676 (M7) was observed only in rat and dog feces, suggesting the involvement of gut microbiota. In rat and dog, steady-state plasma levels of total radioactivity and parent EPZ-5676 were attained rapidly and maintained through the infusion period before declining rapidly on cessation of dosing. Unchanged EPZ-5676 was the predominant circulating species in rat, dog and man. CONCLUSIONS: The excretory and metabolic pathways for EPZ-5676 were very similar across species. Renal excretion of both parent EPZ-5676 and EPZ-5676-related material was low, and in preclinical species fecal excretion of parent EPZ-5676 and EPZ007769 accounted for the majority of drug-related elimination.

Structure and Property Guided Design in the Identification of PRMT5 Tool Compound EPZ015666.

The recent publication of a potent and selective inhibitor of protein methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) provides the scientific community with in vivo-active tool compound EPZ015666 (GSK3235025) to probe the underlying pharmacology of this key enzyme. Herein, we report the design and optimization strategies employed on an initial hit compound with poor in vitro clearance to yield in vivo tool compound EPZ015666 and an additional potent in vitro tool molecule EPZ015866 (GSK3203591).

MLL1 and DOT1L cooperate with meningioma-1 to induce acute myeloid leukemia.

Meningioma-1 (MN1) overexpression is frequently observed in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is predictive of poor prognosis. In murine models, forced expression of MN1 in hematopoietic progenitors induces an aggressive myeloid leukemia that is strictly dependent on a defined gene expression program in the cell of origin, which includes the homeobox genes Hoxa9 and Meis1 as key components. Here, we have shown that this program is controlled by two histone methyltransferases, MLL1 and DOT1L, as deletion of either Mll1 or Dot1l in MN1-expressing cells abrogated the cell of origin-derived gene expression program, including the expression of Hoxa cluster genes. In murine models, genetic inactivation of either Mll1 or Dot1l impaired MN1-mediated leukemogenesis. We determined that HOXA9 and MEIS1 are coexpressed with MN1 in a subset of clinical MN1hi leukemia, and human MN1hi/HOXA9hi leukemias were sensitive to pharmacologic inhibition of DOT1L. Together, these data point to DOT1L as a potential therapeutic target in MN1hi AML. In addition, our findings suggest that epigenetic modulation of the interplay between an oncogenic lesion and its cooperating developmental program has therapeutic potential in AML.

The Importance of Being Me: Magic Methyls, Methyltransferase Inhibitors, and the Discovery of Tazemetostat.

Posttranslational methylation of histones plays a critical role in gene regulation. Misregulation of histone methylation can lead to oncogenic transformation. Enhancer of Zeste homologue 2 (EZH2) methylates histone 3 at lysine 27 (H3K27) and abnormal methylation of this site is found in many cancers. Tazemetostat, an EHZ2 inhibitor in clinical development, has shown activity in both preclinical models of cancer as well as in patients with lymphoma or INI1-deficient solid tumors. Herein we report the structure-activity relationships from identification of an initial hit in a high-throughput screen through selection of tazemetostat for clinical development. The importance of several methyl groups to the potency of the inhibitors is highlighted as well as the importance of balancing pharmacokinetic properties with potency.