ATC Group: L01XG Proteasome inhibitors

Bortezomib is a proteasome inhibitor. It is specifically designed to inhibit the chymotrypsin-like activity of the 26S proteasome in mammalian cells. Inhibition of the 26S proteasome prevents this targeted proteolysis and affects multiple signalling cascades within the cell, ultimately resulting in cancer cell death.

Carfilzomib is a tetrapeptide epoxyketone proteasome inhibitor that selectively and irreversibly binds to the N-terminal threonine containing active sites of the 20S proteasome, the proteolytic core particle within the 26S proteasome, and displays little to no activity against other protease classes. Carfilzomib had antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities in preclinical models in haematologic tumours.

Ixazomib is an oral, highly selective and reversible proteasome inhibitor. Ixazomib preferentially binds and inhibits the chymotrypsin-like activity of the beta 5 subunit of the 20S proteasome. Ixazomib induced apoptosis of several tumour cell types in vitro. In vivo, ixazomib demonstrated antitumour activity in various tumour xenograft models, including models of multiple myeloma.