Characterization of BMS-911543, a functionally selective small-molecule inhibitor of JAK2.

We report the characterization of BMS-911543, a potent and selective small-molecule inhibitor of the Janus kinase (JAK) family member, JAK2. Functionally, BMS-911543 displayed potent anti-proliferative and pharmacodynamic (PD) effects in cell lines dependent upon JAK2 signaling, and had little activity in cell types dependent upon other pathways, such as JAK1 and JAK3. BMS-911543 also displayed anti-proliferative responses in colony growth assays using primary progenitor cells isolated from patients with JAK2(V617F)-positive myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). Similar to these in vitro observations, BMS-911543 was also highly active in in vivo models of JAK2 signaling, with sustained pathway suppression being observed after a single oral dose. At low dose levels active in JAK2-dependent PD models, no effects were observed in an in vivo model of immunosuppression monitoring antigen-induced IgG and IgM production. Expression profiling of JAK2(V617F)-expressing cells treated with diverse JAK2 inhibitors revealed a shared set of transcriptional changes underlying pharmacological effects of JAK2 inhibition, including many STAT1-regulated genes and STAT1 itself. Collectively, our results highlight BMS-911543 as a functionally selective JAK2 inhibitor and support the therapeutic rationale for its further characterization in patients with MPN or in other disorders characterized by constitutively active JAK2 signaling.

Kinase drug discovery approaches in chronic myeloproliferative disorders.

Myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs) are clonal malignancies that arise from hematopoietic progenitors and characterized by overproduction of mature, functional blood cells. These disorders can be broadly characterized into Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph(+)) or negative (Ph(-)) genetic groupings. Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a Ph(+) MPD that is defined on the basis of its molecular lesion, the BCR-ABL fusion gene. Inhibitors directed at the constitutive kinase activity of BCR-ABL have been shown to be disease modifying in CML and have dramatically altered the standard of care for this leukemia. The three main Ph(-) MPDs are polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). The key features of these Ph(-) MPDs are an increased red blood cell mass in PV, a high platelet count in ET and bone marrow fibrosis in PMF, respectively. These disorders also share many clinical features such as long clinical course, increased risk for thrombosis, hemorrhage and elevated risk of leukemic transformation. Interest in these disorders has been ignited by the recent discovery of activating mutations in the tyrosine kinase gene, JAK2, in the predominance of Ph(-) MPD patients and has highlighted JAK2 as a therapeutic intervention point for drug discovery efforts with selective kinase inhibitors. This review will focus on the comparison of Ph(+) and Ph(-) MPDs, drug discovery and development efforts targeting these disorders, and will assess the new opportunities for targeted therapies for these diseases.