Bayer HealthCare presents oncology data at AACR annual meeting

Bayer HealthCare has highlighted the latest developments from its oncology pipeline at the  American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) annual meeting in San Diego.

During the event, the company shared positive preclinical or phase I trial data on a number of early-stage compounds, such as the selective small molecule panFGFR1-3 kinase inhibitor  BAY 1163877, the anti-FGFR2 monoclonal antibody  BAY 1179470 and an FGFR2 antibody-drug conjugate.

It also presented data on a new class of benzodiazepine BET-inhibitors with improved oral bioavailability, which function through selective inhibition of positive transcription elongation factor B.

Other new drugs showcased at the event included the oral pan-CDK inihibitor roniciclib, the selective allosteric AKT1/2 inhibitor BAY 1125976 and a novel phosphatidyl-inositol-3-phosphate inhibitor called BAY 1082439.

Dr Karl Ziegelbauer, head of the oncology/gynaecological therapeutic research group at Bayer HealthCare, said: "Being able to understand the molecular mechanisms driving different types of cancer will allow us to identify and develop novel targeted approaches to better treat this devastating disease."

This comes after the company recently announced the commencement of a phase III clinical trial to evaluate the potential benefits of its drug Xofigo in a new prostate cancer indication.