Topical Remetinostat Gel Safe, Effective for Use in Patients With Basal Cell Carcinoma in Phase 2 Study

Patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) experienced a decrease in tumor size when topical remetinostat gel, a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDAC), was used during a phase 2 study.

“Here we conduct the first proof-of-principle study of a topical pan-HDAC inhibitor, remetinostat, in human BCC,” wrote the study authors.

Researchers conducted a phase 2, open-label, single-arm, single-institution trail of a topical HDAC inhibitor. Participants with at least one BCC were recruited and applied 1% remetinostat gel three times daily for 6 weeks. Measurements of tumor diameter was conducted at baseline and week 8. The remaining tumor was surgically excised at the end of the study and examined microscopically.

Use of the topical remetinostat gel resulted in 69.7% of the participants experiencing more than 30% decrease in tumor size from baseline to week 8. A total of 54.8% of tumors completely resolved. No adverse events were reported.

“The HDAC inhibitor remetinostat is a well-tolerated and effective topical treatment for reducing BCC disease burden in a clinically significant manner,” concluded the study authors. “This provides in-human validation of HDAC inhibitors as a therapy for BCC,” they added.

Reference
Kilgour JM, Shah A, Urman NM, et al. Phase II open-label, single-arm trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of topical remetinostat gel in patients with basal cell carcinoma. Clin Cancer Res. Published online August 6, 2021. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-21-0560