Discovery and Preclinical Evaluation of BMS-986242, a Potent, Selective Inhibitor of Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase 1

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a heme-containing dioxygenase enzyme implicated in cancer immune response. This account details the discovery of BMS-986242, a novel IDO1 inhibitor designed for the treatment of a variety of cancers including metastatic melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. Given the substantial interest around this target for cancer immunotherapy, we sought to identify a structurally differentiated clinical candidate that performs comparably to linrodostat (BMS-986205) in terms of both in vitro potency and in vivo pharmacodynamic effect in a mouse xenograft model. On the basis of its preclinical profile, BMS-986242 was selected as a candidate for clinical development.

Automated summary

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a heme-containing dioxygenase enzyme involved in cancer immune response. The discovery of BMS-986242 as a novel IDO1 inhibitor offers a promising option for the treatment of various cancers. Through identifying a structurally differentiated clinical candidate with comparable efficacy to linrodostat in preclinical studies, BMS-986242 was selected for clinical development.