DHODH inhibitors to treat hematological malignancies

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is a key enzyme in the de novo pyrimidine synthesis pathway.
Recent evidence demonstrating differentiation and cytotoxicity of leukemic blasts upon DHODH inhibition has renewed interest in DHODH as a target for hematologic malignancies.

The Ohio State University’s Drug Development Institute (DDI), in collaboration with Hendrix College, has developed a series of novel DHODH inhibitors for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. With a focus in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and multiple myeloma, the DDI will report in vivo efficacy results of its optimized lead molecule in head-to-head studies against clinical comparators and share insights into combination strategies for clinical study.