1,2,4-Oxadiazole derivatives targeting EGFR and c-Met degradation in TKI resistant NSCLC

Development of small-molecule agents with the ability to facilitate oncoprotein degradation has emerged as a promising strategy for Cancer therapy. Since EGFR and c-Met are both implicated in oncogenesis and tumor progression, we initiated a screening program by using an in-house library to identify agents capable of inducing the concomitant suppression of EGFR and c-Met expression, which led to the identification of compound 1, a 1,2,4-oxadiazole derivative. Based on the scaffold of 1, we developed a series of derivatives to assess their efficacies in facilitating the downregulation of EGFR and c-Met, among which compound 48 represented the optimal agent. 48 showed equipotent antiproliferative activity against a panel of five NSCLC cell lines with different EGFR mutational status (IC₅₀ = 0.2-0.6 μM), while the same panel exhibited differential sensitivity to different EGFR kinase inhibitors tested. Cell cycle analysis indicated that the antiproliferative activity of 48 was associated with its ability to cause G2/M arrest and, to a lesser extent, Apoptosis. Western blot and RT-PCR analyses revealed that 48 facilitated the downregulation of EGFR and c-Met at the protein level. In vivo data showed that oral administration of 48 was effective in suppressing gefitinib-resistant H1975 xenograft tumor growth in nude mice, and at a suboptimal dose, could sensitize H1975 tumors to gefitinib. Based on these findings, 48 represents a promising candidate for further development to target EGFR TKI-resistant NSCLC via dual inhibition of EGFR and c-Met oncoproteins.