Quisinostat (USAN; development code JNJ-26481585) is an experimental drug candidate for the treatment of cancer. It is a “second generation” histone deacetylase inhibitor with antineoplastic activity. It is highly potent against class I and II HDACs.
It was developed by Janssen Pharmaceuticals and licensed to NewVac LLC.
Preclinical studies show that quisinostat amplifies HDAC-repressed expression of E-cadherin, leading to a reversal of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in tumor cells. Results of a phase I trials in patients with multiple myeloma in combination with bortezomib and dexamethasone were published in 2016.
Data provide strong evidence that Quisinostat or other class I HDAC inhibitors might be therapeutically useful for patients with SHH medulloblastoma including those resistant to Smoothened (SMO) inhibition 1).