CH-0601

CH-0601 is a potent and selective small molecule inhibitor of Aurora A kinase (also known as Aurora-2 or STK15), a serine/threonine kinase that plays a critical role in mitotic spindle assembly and chromosome segregation. Developed by Chugai Pharmaceutical, the compound was designed to target the overexpression of Aurora A, which is frequently observed in various human cancers and is associated with centrosome amplification, chromosomal instability, and poor prognosis. By inhibiting Aurora A, CH-0601 disrupts the interaction between Aurora A and its activator TPX2, leading to mitotic arrest and subsequent apoptosis in cancer cells. Preclinical studies demonstrated its efficacy in inhibiting the growth of multiple tumor types, particularly those with high Aurora A expression, although its clinical development has not been widely publicized in recent years.