Design Objective

Xcovery is focused on developing next generation kinase inhibitors, drugs which fight cancer on a molecular level. Kinase inhibitors are at the heart of the new era of targeted cancer therapeutics. By focusing on molecular and cellular changes that are specific to cancer, targeted cancer therapies are more effective than other types of treatment, including chemotherapy and radiation, and less harmful to healthy cells. This specific, less toxic approach to cancer therapy also greatly improves the quality of life for the cancer patient.

Xcovery has developed a portfolio of low toxicity kinase inhibitors which will allow for combination of different therapies to simultaneously address three important cancer mechanisms of action: anti-angiogenesis which destroys the tumor by starving it of nutrients (VEGFR/PDGFR); metastasis – the spread of cancer cells to different parts of the body where new tumors are formed (c-Met); and the development of mutations which cause resistance to therapy (PI3K/mTor, ALK).

The complexity of cancer cannot be treated effectively when limited to one molecular therapeutic. Several existing drugs provide modest patient benefit as monotherapy, but increasingly the ability of cancer cells to adapt and develop resistance has become apparent. Research indicates that combination therapies which include drugs with different mechanisms of action impacting cancer cells in multiple ways provide an improved clinical benefit and decrease the risk of relapse. Unfortunately, most cancer molecular therapies currently approved by the FDA are not appropriate for combination therapy due to their limited therapeutic window caused by elevated toxicity. Xcovery has focused on developing drugs with reduced toxicity which allows a very broad therapeutic window. This design objective creates drug candidates which are ideally suited to be used in combination.