Bcr-Abl x Protein-tyrosine kinases

BOSTON and ATLANTA, Dec. 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: IKT) ("Inhibikase" or "Company"), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing protein kinase inhibitor therapeutics to modify the course of Parkinson's disease, Parkinson's-related disorders and other diseases of the Abelson Tyrosine Kinases, today announced the dosing of the first three subjects in its '501' bioequivalence study of IkT-001Pro, the Company's prodrug formulation of imatinib mesylate designed to enhance the safety and efficacy of imatinib (marketed as Gleevac®) in patients with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). IkT-001Pro will be evaluated in a single ascending dose bioequivalence study and will enroll approximately 56 male and female healthy volunteers aged 25 to 55 who will receive IkT-001Pro at one of four doses. The study is designed to evaluate the safety profile of IkT-001Pro as well as identify a dose that mimics the systemic exposure and pharmacokinetics of 400 mg imatinib mesylate, the standard-of-care dose for Stable-Phase CML. Following this study, Inhibikase plans to conduct a superiority study comparing the selected dose of IkT-001Pro to 400 mg imatinib mesylate and evaluate the adverse event profile and patient reported outcomes as a measure of superiority over standard-of-care. "We are excited to begin dosing healthy volunteers in our '501' bioequivalence study to evaluate IkT-001Pro. This represents our second program to enter the clinic, growing and diversifying our clinical portfolio beyond the neurodegenerative disease space," commented Milton H. Werner, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer. "In preclinical studies, we have shown that IkT-001Pro has the potential to substantially enhance the safety profile of oral imatinib, thus improving treatment compliance and possibly delaying relapse for patients with CML. We look forward to completing this study in the first half of 2023 and remain committed to improving the lives of patients." In preclinical studies with non-human primates, IkT-001Pro was safely tolerated at dosages up to 3.4 times higher than imatinib. This has the potential to improve the number of patients that reach and sustain complete cytogenetic response in stable-phase CML by improving patient adherence to therapy. In addition, IkT-001Pro may also alleviate the frequent gastrointestinal side effects of imatinib therapy that occur following oral administration. About IkT-001Pro IkT-001Pro is a prodrug formulation of imatinib mesylate and has been developed to improve the safety of the first FDA-approved Abelson (Abl) kinase inhibitor, imatinib (marketed as Gleevec®). Imatinib is commonly taken for hematological and gastrointestinal cancers that arise from Abl kinase mutations found in the bone marrow or for gastrointestinal cancers that arise from c-Kit and/or PDGFRa/b mutations in the stomach; c-Kit, PDGFRa/b and Abl are all members of the Abelson Tyrosine Kinase protein family. IkT-001Pro has the potential to be a safer alternative for patients and may improve the number of patients that reach and sustain major and/or complete cytogenetic responses in stable-phase CML and/or reduce the relapse rate for these patients. In preclinical studies, IkT-001Pro was shown to be as much as 3.4 times safer than imatinib in non-human primates, reducing burdensome gastrointestinal side effects that occur following oral administration. Imatinib delivered as IkT-001Pro was granted Orphan Drug Designation for stable-phase CML in September 2018. About Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Chronic myeloid leukemia1 is a slowly progressing cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow. In CML, a genetic change takes place in immature myeloid cells — the cells that make most types of white blood cells. This change creates an abnormal gene product called BCR-ABL which transforms the cell into a CML cell. Leukemia cells increasingly grow and divide in an unregulated manner, eventually spilling out of the bone marrow and circulating in the body via the bloodstream. Because they proliferate in an uncontrolled manner, the excessive production of myeloid cells acts like a liquid tumor. In time, the cells can also settle in other parts of the body, including the spleen. CML is a form of slow-growing leukemia that can change into a fast-growing form of acute leukemia that is difficult to treat. About Inhibikase (www.inhibikase.com) Inhibikase Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: IKT) is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics for Parkinson's disease and related disorders. Inhibikase's multi-therapeutic pipeline focuses on neurodegeneration and its lead program IkT-148009, an Abelson Tyrosine Kinase (c-Abl) inhibitor, targets the treatment of Parkinson's disease inside and outside the brain as well as other diseases that arise from Ableson Tyrosine Kinases. Its multi-therapeutic pipeline is pursuing Parkinson's-related disorders of the brain and GI tract, orphan indications related to Parkinson's disease such as Multiple System Atrophy, and drug delivery technologies for kinase inhibitors such as IkT-001Pro, a prodrug of the anticancer agent imatinib mesylate that the Company believes will provide a better patient experience with fewer on-dosing side-effects. The Company's RAMP™ medicinal chemistry program has identified a number of follow-on compounds to IkT-148009 to be potentially applied to other cognitive and motor function diseases of the brain. Inhibikase is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with offices in Boston, Massachusetts. Social Media Disclaimer Investors and others should note that we announce material financial information to our investors using our investor relations website, press releases, SEC filings and public conference calls and webcasts. The company intends to also use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube as a means of disclosing information about the company, its services and other matters and for complying with its disclosure obligations under Regulation FD.