minnelide

Minnelide is a water-soluble prodrug of triptolide, a diterpene triepoxide derived from the Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii (thunder god vine). Upon administration, Minnelide is rapidly converted in the body to its active form, triptolide. Triptolide exerts potent anticancer effects by inhibiting heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), leading to disruption of cancer cell survival pathways and induction of apoptosis. Additional mechanisms include inhibition of MYC-driven transcriptional programs and suppression of NF-κB-mediated expression of pro-survival genes. Minnelide has demonstrated preclinical and early clinical activity against various solid tumors—including pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer (including advanced gastric cancer), colorectal cancer, adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas (ASCP), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and acute myeloid leukemia—by reducing tumor growth and promoting tumor cell death. It is being developed primarily as an antineoplastic agent for refractory or relapsed cancers[2][3][4][5][6][8].

Brand names

Minnelide

Other names

water-soluble triptolide prodrug