Abstract 4032: Discovery of a potent, selective, and orally available SHP2 inhibitor that can penetrate blood-brain barrier

Src homology region 2-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 2 (SHP2/PTPN11) is one of the key signaling proteins in many oncogenic receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) pathways. It mediates RAS-driven downstream signaling and activates gene expression for tumorigenesis. Importantly, a critical role of SHP2 has been found during the process of temporal adaptation and ERK re-activation after the treatment of RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK inhibitors, which means that SHP2 could be a promising therapeutic target to shut down the oncogenic RAS pathway, especially in combination with RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK inhibitors. Here we present preclinical data of an allosteric small-molecule SHP2 inhibitor that is highly potent, selective, and brain-permeable. In vitro biochemical and cellular assays showed excellent potency against SHP2 protein. In addition, we confirmed exceptional in vivo activity in mouse xenograft models, and demonstrated combination effects with a KRAS G12C inhibitor. Most importantly, the BBB penetration and anti-tumor activity in brain was confirmed both in vitro and in vivo, supporting the great potential in treating brain-metastasized tumors. In summary, we have successfully discovered and developed a potent and blood-brain barrier permeable SHP2 inhibitor that provides a novel therapeutic option for diverse cancers associated in the RAS pathway. Citation Format: Miyeon Kim, Dongsu Kim, Kyeong Jin Yoon, Yeejin Jeon, Dohyun Park, Mijung Lee, Dahye Jeon, Soyeon Jang, Jinhwan Kim, Eunji Kim, Jihoon Park, Victor Hong, Sang Kyun Lim, Sungpil Choi. Discovery of a potent, selective, and orally available SHP2 inhibitor that can penetrate blood-brain barrier. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4032.