pipeline
An extensive pipeline of R&D programmes
Sentinel Oncology has developed a pipeline of small molecule drugs targeting cancer. We also have an interest in other rare brain disorders, with an advanced program to treat patients with fragile X syndrome.
Pipeline Overview
Sentinel Oncology’s pipeline is built on our medicinal chemistry expertise focusing on small molecule inhibitors to treat a variety of cancers and other diseases.
SOL578 - Oncology
DNA damage occurs frequently in our day to day lives, introducing errors into the DNA of cells. Chk1 is part of the DNA damage response that has a crucial role in sensing and responding to that damage. Cancer cells are more reliant on Chk1 than normal cells and exploit this to avoid programmed cell death that would otherwise remove the cancerous cells. Inhibiting Chk1 is shown to force cancer cells towards death. Radiotherapy and chemotherapies such as gemcitabine work by causing DNA damage. Combining a Chk1 inhibitor with a DNA damaging therapy has the potential to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Sentinel Oncology’s candidate drug SOL578 has demonstrated preclinical activity both as a monotherapy treatment as well as in conjunction with chemotherapy agents, with activity across a broad range of cancer types, and it is being pursed in several indications including haematological and brain cancer. In 2022, Sentinel Oncology entered an exclusive worldwide licence agreement with PharmaEngine for the rights to develop and commercialise SOL578.
SOL686 - Oncology
The defining feature of cancer is uncontrolled proliferation. SOL686 inhibits mitosis, the process at the centre of proliferation. Mitosis is a complex series of events requiring precise temporal and spatial control. SOL686 disrupts the mitotic spindle, mitosis’ most important choreographer, thereby killing highly proliferative cancer cells.
SOL686 has demonstrated remarkable efficacy in both hetero- and ortho-topic mouse models of a wide range of human cancer types. Importantly, SOL686 shows excellent exposure to the brain, and has demonstrated outstanding tumour control in orthotopic brain cancer models, where many anti-mitotic drugs fail.
The SOL686 program was in-licenced from PhoreMost Ltd in 2017. Sentinel has now granted an exclusive worldwide option to SOL686 to an undisclosed partner.
Pre-Candidate - Fragile X Syndrome
S6K1 is a protein kinase involved in cell growth, survival and metabolism and contributes to several pathological conditions, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). S6K1 has also been implicated in fragile X syndrome (FXS), a genetic condition that causes intellectual disability, and behavioural and learning challenges. Inhibiting S6K1 in fragile X syndrome is proposed to correct pathophysiology’s associated with the disease and provide a therapeutic intervention to improve the lives of affected individuals and their families.
Pre-candidate drug programmes
Sentinel Oncology has a number of programmes at earlier stages of preclinical activity. Our focus is on cancer targets that are well validated, where we can offer an advantage by developing drugs with superior chemical properties capable of crossing the blood brain barrier to treat brain cancers such as glioblastoma. Sentinel Oncology works with experts in specific brain cancer types at an early stage of each programme offering a preclinical platform that is highly disease relevant, leading to a higher chance of clinical success.
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