Abstract 3945: Novel Antagonists of TEAD Palmitoylation Inhibit the Growth of Hippo-altered Cancers in Preclinical Models

Abstract Background: The Hippo pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signaling cascade whose deregulation can promote excessive cell proliferation and tumor development. Pathway output is mediated by the YAP and TAZ transcriptional co-activators, which bind to TEAD family transcription factors to drive target gene expression. Genomic aberrations in Hippo pathway components result in constitutive activation of YAP/TAZ, as seen with NF2 mutations in subsets of mesothelioma and other cancers. Hyperactivation of YAP/TAZ has also been associated with resistance to a variety of targeted agents, including EGFR and CDK4/6 inhibitors, suggesting that targeting the pathway may have utility as part of rationally selected combinations, in addition to genomically-informed monotherapy applications. Activity of the YAP/TAZ-TEAD complex thus represents a compelling pharmacologic target, due to its essential role in the pathway, and the presence of a conserved druggable site in TEAD that is required for transcriptional function. Results and Discussion: Using biophysical techniques, we identified novel small molecules that bind to the TEAD auto-palmitoylation pocket. Initial hits were optimized for antagonism of TEAD-based transcription and drug-like properties, ultimately producing highly potent and orally bioavailable TEAD inhibitors. These compounds selectively inhibited the proliferation of cancer cell lines harboring genomic alterations in the Hippo pathway with low nM potency. In vivo models of Hippo pathway-altered xenografts showed consistent monotherapy activity, with dose-dependent and durable tumor regressions achieved at well-tolerated doses. Further characterization of these compounds as monotherapies and as part of rationally-designed combination regimens is ongoing. Citation Format: Adeela Kamal, Aurélie Candi, Matthias Versele, Bart Vanderhoydonck, Arnaud Marchand, Ron de Jong, Thuy Hoang, Georg Halder, Patrick Chaltin, Stephen L. Gwaltney, Mike Burgess. Novel antagonists of TEAD palmitoylation inhibit the growth of Hippo-altered cancers in preclinical models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3945.