TG101209, a small molecule JAK2-selective kinase inhibitor potently inhibits myeloproliferative disorder-associated JAK2V617F and MPLW515L/K mutations

JAK2V617F and MPLW515L/K represent recently identified mutations in myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) that cause dysregulated JAK-STAT signaling, which is implicated in MPD pathogenesis. We developed TG101209, an orally bioavailable small molecule that potently inhibits JAK2 (IC = 6 nM), FLT3 (IC = 25 nM) and RET (IC = 17 nM) kinases, with significantly less activity against other tyrosine kinases including JAK3 (IC = 169 nM). TG101209 inhibited growth of Ba/F3 cells expressing JAK2V617F or MPLW515L mutations with an IC of ∼200 nM. In a human JAK2V617F-expressing acute myeloid leukemia cell line, TG101209-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and inhibited phosphorylation of JAK2V617F, STAT5 and STAT3. Therapeutic efficacy of TG101209 was demonstrated in a nude mouse model. Furthermore, TG101209 suppressed growth of hematopoietic colonies from primary progenitor cells harboring JAK2V617F or MPL515 mutations.