Encorafenib (LGX818)

Encorafenib (LGX818) is a highly potent RAF inhibitor with selective anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity in cells expressing BRAFV600E (EC50=4 nM).
Encorafenib, also known as BRAFTOVI, is a kinase inhibitor. Encorafenib inhibits BRAF gene, which encodes for B-raf protein, which is a proto-oncogene involved in various genetic mutations. This protein plays a role in regulating the MAP kinase/ERK signaling pathway, which impacts cell division, differentiation, and secretion. Mutations in this gene, most frequently the V600E mutation, are the most commonly identified cancer-causing mutations in melanoma, and have been isolated in various other cancers as well, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, colorectal cancer, thyroid carcinoma, non-small cell lung carcinoma, hairy cell leukemia and adenocarcinoma of the lung. On June 27, 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved encorafenib and [Binimetinib] (BRAFTOVI and MEKTOVI, Array BioPharma Inc.) in combination for patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma with a BRAF V600E or V600K mutation, as detected by an FDA-approved test.|Encorafenib is an orally available Raf kinase inhibitor with potential antineoplastic activity. Encorafenib specifically inhibits Raf kinase, a serine/threonine enzyme in the RAF/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. By inhibiting the activation of the RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, the administration of LGX818 may result in a decrease in proliferation of tumor cells. The Raf mutation BRAF V600E is frequently upregulated in a variety of human tumors and results in the constitutive activation of the RAF/MEK/ERK signaling pathway that regulates cellular proliferation and survival.
Encorafenib (LGX818) is a new-generation BRAF inhibitor that is under evaluation in clinical trials. However, the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated. Here we show that LGX818 potently decreased ERK phosphorylation and inhibited proliferation in BRAFV600E melanoma cell lines. Moreover, LGX818 downregulated CyclinD1 in a glycogen synthase kinase 3β-independent manner and induced cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase.
Class: dual threonine/tyrosine kinase; Treatment: melanoma with BRAFV600E/K; Oral bioavailability = 85%; Elimination half-life = 6 h; Protein binding = 86%