Potent and highly selective CDK9 inhibitor for treatment of hematologic malignancies

To evade cell cycle controls, malignant cells rely upon rapid expression of select proteins to mitigate pro-apoptotic signals resulting from damage caused by both cancer treatments and unchecked over-proliferation. Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9)-dependent signaling induces transcription of downstream oncogenes promoting tumor growth, especially in hyperproliferative “oncogene-addicted” cancers, such as human hematological malignancies (HHMs).