Kinase-impaired BTK mutations are susceptible to clinical-stage BTK and IKZF1/3 degrader NX-2127

Science. 2024 Feb 2;383(6682):eadi5798. doi: 10.1126/science.adi5798. Epub 2024 Feb 2.

Abstract

Increasing use of covalent and noncovalent inhibitors of Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) has elucidated a series of acquired drug-resistant BTK mutations in patients with B cell malignancies. Here we identify inhibitor resistance mutations in BTK with distinct enzymatic activities, including some that impair BTK enzymatic activity while imparting novel protein-protein interactions that sustain B cell receptor (BCR) signaling. Furthermore, we describe a clinical-stage BTK and IKZF1/3 degrader, NX-2127, that can bind and proteasomally degrade each mutant BTK proteoform, resulting in potent blockade of BCR signaling. Treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia with NX-2127 achieves >80% degradation of BTK in patients and demonstrates proof-of-concept therapeutic benefit. These data reveal an oncogenic scaffold function of mutant BTK that confers resistance across clinically approved BTK inhibitors but is overcome by BTK degradation in patients.

MeSH terms

  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase* / genetics
  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase* / metabolism
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm* / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Ikaros Transcription Factor* / metabolism
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell* / drug therapy
  • Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell* / genetics
  • Mutation
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors* / pharmacology
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors* / therapeutic use
  • Proteolysis* / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • Agammaglobulinaemia Tyrosine Kinase
  • Ikaros Transcription Factor
  • IKZF1 protein, human
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • IKZF3 protein, human