Discovery of KRB-456, a KRAS G12D switch-I/II allosteric pocket binder that inhibits the growth of pancreatic cancer patient-derived tumors.

Currently, there are no clinically approved drugs that directly thwart mutant KRAS G12D, a major driver of human cancer. Here, we report on the discovery of a small molecule, KRB-456, that binds KRAS G12D and inhibits the growth of pancreatic cancer patient-derived tumors. Protein NMR studies revealed that KRB-456 binds the GDP-bound and GCP-bound conformation of KRAS G12D by forming interactions with a dynamic allosteric binding pocket within the switch-I/II region. Isothermal titration calorimetry demonstrated that KRB-456 binds potently to KRAS G12D with 1.5-, 2- and 6-fold higher affinity than to KRAS G12V, KRAS wild-type and KRAS G12C, respectively. KRB-456 potently inhibits the binding of KRAS G12D to the RAS-binding domain (RBD) of RAF1 as demonstrated by GST-RBD pull-down and AlphaScreen assays. Treatment of KRAS G12D-harboring human pancreatic cancer cells with KRB-456 suppresses the cellular levels of KRAS bound to GTP and inhibits the binding of KRAS to RAF1. Importantly, KRB-456 inhibits P-MEK, P-AKT and P-S6 levels in vivo and inhibits the growth of subcutaneous and orthotopic xenografts derived from pancreatic cancer patients whose tumors harbor KRAS G12D and KRAS G12V and who relapsed after chemotherapy and radiation therapy. These results warrant further development of KRB-456 for pancreatic cancer.