In vivo antitumor efficacy of 17-DMAG (17-dimethylaminoethylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin hydrochloride), a water-soluble geldanamycin derivative

17-DMAG emerged from screening studies as a potent geldanamycin analog, with the average concentration inhibiting the growth of the NCI anticancer cell line drug screen by 50% being 0.053 μM. “Head to head” comparison with 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG, NSC 330507) revealed 17-DMAG to possess potent activity against certain cell types, e.g., MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma and HL60-TB leukemia which were relatively insensitive to 17-AAG. Evidence of oral bioavailability of 17-DMAG in a saline-based formulation prompted more detailed examination of its antitumor efficacy in vivo. 17-DMAG inhibited the growth of the AsPC-1 pancreatic carcinoma xenografts growing as intrahepatic metastases at doses of 6.7–10 mg/kg twice daily for 5 days administered orally under conditions where 17-AAG was without activity. 17-DMAG in an aqueous vehicle at 7.5–15 mg/kg per day for 3 days on days 1–3, 8–10 and 13–17, or 1–5 and 8–12 showed evidence of antitumor activity by the parenteral and oral routes in the MEXF 276 and MEXF 989 melanomas and by the parenteral route in the LXFA 629 and LXFS 650 adenocarcinoma and small-cell carcinoma models. The latter activity was comparable to the historical activity of 17-AAG.