Phase I Clinical Trial of IPI-504, a Novel, Water-Soluble Hsp90 Inhibitor, in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma (MM).

IPI-504 is a novel, water-soluble Heat Shock Protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor. It is the chemical reduction product of 17-AAG, a well-characterized Hsp90 inhibitor. 17-AAG is currently in clinical trials, but suffers from very poor aqueous solubility and must be administered to patients in either suboptimal DMSO formulations, or newer cremophor or emulsion formulations. IPI-504, however, exists as a hydrochloride salt which is soluble in water in excess of 100 mg/mL. It has previously been shown that IPI-504 inter-converts with 17-AAG and exists in a pH and enzyme-mediated dynamic redox equilibrium. When IPI-504 or 17-AAG is administered to mice, rats, or monkeys a dynamic equilibrium occurs in vivo in which both species are present in plasma as well as tissue. Thus, IPI-504 recapitulates all of the Hsp90 inhibitory properties and biological activity of 17-AAG without its formulation liabilities. In preclinical studies IPI-504 has demonstrated in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor effects in a variety of cancers including xenograft and orthotopic models of multiple myeloma. Therefore an open-label phase I dose-escalation trial of IPI-504 infused on days 1, 4, 8 and 11 of a 21 day cycle is being conducted in pts with relapsed/refractory MM. IPI-504 is infused in 250cc of normal saline over thirty minutes. Pts receive IPI-504 for one cycle of treatment. The primary objectives of the study are to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and characterize the pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic (PD) marker effects of IPI-504. An accelerated titration design was utilized during the first three dose levels. Dose limiting toxicity (DLT) is defined as grade 4 or greater hematologic toxicity and/or grade 3 or greater non-hematologic toxicity within the first 21 days of treatment. Results demonstrate that the in vivo dynamic equilibrium of IPI-504 and 17-AAG is detectable in human plasma PK samples and the water-based formulation is well-tolerated. Data on PK, dose proportionality, safety, tolerability, PD markers, and anti-tumor activity of IPI-504 will be reported. In conclusion, clinical evaluation of this agent is ongoing to define the safety, tolerability and potential activity of IPI-504 to treat pts with advanced MM. These results may help clarify the effects of Hsp90 inhibition using a water-soluble, ansamycin-based Hsp90 inhibitor without the confounding effects of DMSO-based formulations.