MEI Pharma is focused on developing innovative cancer therapies that target specific mechanisms of drug resistance in hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. One of their key technologies is Voruciclib, a selective oral inhibitor of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 9 (CDK9). This compound is currently in clinical trials for treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and is being evaluated for its potential in solid tumors. CDK9 plays a crucial role in regulating cell cycle processes and is involved in the modulation of two significant proteins often dysregulated in cancer: MCL1, which prevents cell death, and MYC, a proto-oncogene that promotes cell proliferation. Voruciclib's mechanism of action includes inhibiting the transcription of these proteins, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of existing therapies like the BCL-2 inhibitor venetoclax.

The development program for Voruciclib aims to explore its applications in combination with other cancer treatments, particularly in patients with relapsed or refractory AML. Initial clinical studies have shown promising results, including anti-leukemic activity and a favorable safety profile, with no dose-limiting toxicities reported. The ongoing research is focused on determining the optimal dosing and overall clinical efficacy of Voruciclib, especially in combination therapies targeting MYC-driven cancers, such as those with KRAS mutations. MEI Pharma's commitment to patient-centric approaches underscores their goal of delivering differentiated therapies that improve patient outcomes in the fight against cancer.

United States

San Diego-based, late-stage pharmaceutical company focused on developing potential new therapies for cancer. Portfolio of drug candidates contains four clinical-stage candidates, including one candidate (zandelisib) in a Phase 2 clinical trial which they intend to submit to the U.S. Food and Drug administration to support an accelerated approval marketing application.

Cancer

Hematologic Diseases

Urogenital Diseases

MEI Pharma

Colorectal cancer

Solid tumor/s

ME-344 is our novel and tumor selective mitochondrial inhibitor drug candidate. ME-344 has been investigated clinically in patients with solid tumors. Most recently, data was reported at ASCO 2019 from an investigator-initiated, multi-center, randomized study in combination with the VEGF inhibitor bevacizumab (marketed as Avastin ®) in a total of 42 patients with HER2 negative breast cancer.

ME-344 (Mitochondrial Inhibitor) + bevacizumab

B-cell malignancies

The PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is an important signaling pathway for many cellular functions such as cell survival, cell cycle progression and cellular growth. The PI3K family of enzymes within this pathway have been shown to play a critical role in the proliferation and survival of certain cancer cells. There are several isoforms of PI3K that are expressed in different types of cells; the delta isoform is often overexpressed in cancer cells of the B-lymphocyte lineage, such as B-cell leukemias and lymphomas, and is understood to be important for survival of these cells. Zandelisib displays high selectivity for the PI3K delta isoform and functions to inhibit its activity.

Zandelisib (Oral P13K Delta Inhibitor)

Acute myeloid leukemia

Voruciclib is an orally administered cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor differentiated by potent inhibition of CDK9 in addition to CDK6, 4 and 1.

MEI Pharma

Company Details