Initial Findings from a First-in-Human Phase 1a/b Trial of NX-5948, a Selective Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) Degrader, in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory B Cell Malignancies

Introduction: Although BTK inhibitors (BTKi) are effective therapeutics in the treatment of B cell malignancies, emerging BTK resistance mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), as well as potential growth-promoting kinase-independent scaffolding function of BTK, present a need for improved or new approaches. NX-5948 is a novel, orally administered small molecule that induces specific BTK protein degradation by the cereblon E3 ligase complex without degradation of other cereblon neo-substrates. Importantly, NX-5948 induces degradation of wild-type and mutant forms of BTK in B-cells [Noviski et al. 2023] at sub-nanomolar potencies and exhibits potent tumor growth inhibition in TMD8 xenograft models that contain either wild-type BTK or BTKi-resistant mutations [Robbins 2021]. Here we provide the first disclosure of preliminary safety and efficacy findings from a Phase 1a trial of NX-5948 in patients with relapsed/refractory B cell malignancies.