DDInter1042 DDInter1658
Leuprolide is a synthetic 9-residue peptide analogue of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Unlike the endogenous decapeptide GnRH, leuprolide contains a single D-amino acid (D-leucyl) residue, which helps to increase its circulating half-life from three to four minutes to approximately three hours. As a GnRH mimic, leuprolide is capable of binding to the GnRH receptor (GnRHR) and inducing downstream modulation of both gonadotropin hormone and sex steroid levels. Prolonged activation of GnRHR results in significant downregulation of sex steroid levels, which is primarily responsible for the clinical efficacy of leuprolide in diverse conditions, including advanced prostate cancer, endometriosis, and central precocious puberty.[A203126, A203132] Leuprolide was first approved in 1985 as a daily subcutaneous injection under the tradename
Selpercatinib is a kinase inhibitor with enhanced specificity for RET tyrosine kinase receptors (RTKs) over other RTK classes.[A202055, A202052, L13604] Enhanced RET (Rearranged during transfection) oncogene expression is a hallmark of many cancers. Although multikinase inhibitors, including [cabozantinib], [ponatinib], [sorafenib], [sunitinib], and [vandetanib], have shown efficacy in RET-driven cancers, their lack of specificity is generally associated with substantial toxicity. Selpercatinib (LOXO-292) and pralsetinib (BLU-667) represent the first generation of specific RET RTK inhibitors for the treatment of RET-driven cancers.[A202049, A202055, A202052, L13604] Although selpercatinib is currently still under investigation in clinical trial NCT04211337, it was granted accelerated FDA approval on May 8, 2020, for specific RET-driven cancer indications. It is currently marketed under the brand name RETEVMO™ by Loxo Oncology Inc. Selpercatinib is also approved by the European Commission.