NV-18

NV-18 is a synthetic diphenolic small molecule analogue developed by Novogen (now Kazia Therapeutics) as part of its oncology pipeline. Derived from the same chemical scaffold as phenoxodiol (NV-06), NV-18 was identified through a program creating drugs with diverse activities against specific cancer types. It demonstrated broad-spectrum laboratory efficacy against various human cancers, with particular potency noted in melanoma and cholangiocarcinoma models. Mechanistically, NV-18 is designed to overcome and reverse resistance to standard chemotherapies, including taxanes and platinum-based agents, by inducing apoptosis and potentially inhibiting signal transduction pathways such as those involving Ecto-NOX protein 2 (ENOX2) or sphingosine kinase. The compound was primarily investigated for the treatment of solid tumors but did not progress into clinical trials.