Dr. Flinn Discusses IPI-145 as Potential Treatment for Hematologic Malignancies

Ian W. Flinn, MD, PhD, director, Hematologic Malignancies Research Program, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses IPI-145, an oral inhibitor of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)-delta and PI3K- gamma.

Flinn says this agent builds on work that has been previously done with delta-specific PI3K inhibitors such as idelalisib. IPI-145 also picks up the gamma isoform, which may help treat other hematologic malignancies such as T cell lympohomas and more aggressive forms of lymphoma.

T cells are important in perpetuating the malignancy in lymphoma and CLL, Flinn says. Targeting the gamma isoform abrogates the protective effect of the microenvironment on the cancer cell.