It has been estimated that approximately 30% of current R&D spend in pharmaceutical companies is focused on the development of kinase inhibitors. Protein kinases have become one of the pharmaceutical industry’s most important class of drug target.
To date, 121  drugs targeting protein kinases have been clinically approved (see table below or as a PDF  to view structures at a higher resolution). They include Gleevec, an inhibitor of the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase, which has transformed chronic myelogenous leukaemia from a disease that was rapidly fatal into a manageable condition.
     
  
  
 
  
  
    
    
Advanced (Metastatic) Breast Cancer
 
    
    
Mantle Cell Lymphoma, CLL
 
    
 NSCLC With EGFR Mutations
 
    
NSCLC With ALK Translocations
2014 Japan 2015 FDA 2017 EMA
 
    
Advanced Mutation +Ve NSCLC
 
    
Breast Cancer, HR+Ve, HER2-Ve
 
    
    
    
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
 
    
PDGFR Exon 18 Mutation (Incl D842V)+Ve
 
    
    
    
    
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
 
    
ALK-Rearranged Metastatic NSCLC 
 
    
    
HR+ And PI3K Mutation Breast Cancer
 
    
    
    
NSCLC With ALK Translocations
 
    
    
    
    
    
    
NSCLC With EGFR Mutations
 
    
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, ALL
 
    
    
    
    
    
    
ROS1+Ve NSCLC, Solid Tumors NTRK+Ve
 
    
Advanced Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma
 
    
    
    
    
    
    
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
 
    
Autoimmune Thrombocyto-Penia
 
    
Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenia
 
    
Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
 
    
    
    
    
Acute Myeloid Leukemia FLT3 Mutant
2018 FDA 2019 EMA 2021 China
 
    
    
    
 Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
 
    
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
 
    
    
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) And Cholangiocarcinoma
 
    
    
Solid Tumours With NTRK Fusions
 
    
    
    
Thyroid Cancer (DTC) Kidney Cancer
 
    
    
MHER2-Positive Breast Cancer
 
    
Acute Myeloid Leukemia (FLT3 Mutation-Positive)
 
    
NSCLC With EGFR Mutations
 
    
    
HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
 
    
    
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
 
    
 Cell Carcinomas Of The Head And Neck
 
    
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
 
    
    
    
 Mantle Cell Lymphoma CLL, SLL
 
    
    
    
Advanced (Metastatic) Breast Cancer
 
    
    
    
2009 FDA, 2010 EMA, MHRA, TGA
 
    
    
Cholangiocarcinoma With FGFR2 Fusion 
 
    
HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
 
    
Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumour
 
    
    
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia, ALL
 
    
Met RET Fusion +Ve NSCLC MTC
 
    
    
    
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
 
    
    
Clorectal Cancer GIST, HCC
 
    
Advanced (Metastatic) Breast Cancer HR+, HER2-Ve
 
    
Glaucoma Ocular Hypertension
 
    
Advanced GIST Mastocytosis
 
    
    
    
    
NSCLC, MTC, Thyroid Cancers
 
    
    
    
    
    
KRAS Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
 
    
Renal Cancer, Imatinib Resistant GIST
 
    
    
Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma
 
    
    
    
Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
 
    
    
    
    
M-Melanoma With BRAFV600E
 
    
    
SCLC Chemo Myelopreservation
 
    
HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
 
    
    
    
    
Metastatic Melanoma BRAFV600E
 
    
    
     
    
  
  
      
       The current global market for kinase therapies is about US$20 billion per annum, forecast to increase markedly. There are over 100 small-molecule kinase inhibitors active in late stages of clinical development and many more are likely to be approved in the coming years.
       
As only about 10% of kinases have been studied in detail there is still much to understand on the roles that protein kinases play in human health and disease.
We believe that development of kinase inhibitors will remain at the forefront of medicine for the foreseeable future.