Plinabulin

NPI-2358 is a vascular disrupting agent currently in clinical development for the treatment of cancer by Nereus. NPI-2358 is one of over 200 synthetic analogues that were prepared following the discovery of the compound Halimide isolated from a marine fungus. In preclinical models of cancer, including lung, breast, sarcoma, colon and prostate, NPI-2358 demonstrated potent and selective anti-tumor effects in combination with docetaxel and other oncology therapies, as well as single-agent efficacy in a number of orthotopic models. NPI-2358 interacts with soluble beta-tubulin and prevents the polymerization of tubulin without altering dynamic microtubule function of formed microtubules. As demonstrated in preclinical testing, this target profile results in a highly specific nanomolar cytotoxicity while reducing the side effects seen in first-generation VDAs due to cardiotoxicity, hemodynamic changes and neuropathies.