Spun out of University of North Carolina, G1 Therapeutics, (NASDAQ:GTHX) -- fka G-Zero Therapeutics Inc - is structured around taking a small molecule-based approach to protecting bone marrow from damage due to chemotherapy or radiation. Bone marrow damage results in severe anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. G1 Therapeutics' small molecules rapidly capture the cell cycle of hematopoeitic progenitor and stem cells in the bone marrow. This temporary capture -- termed pharmacological quiescence or Pharmacoquiescence (PQ) -- exploits the fact that when cells are detained in Go/G1 of the cell cycle, cells are more resistant to DNA damaging insults. One of the firm's technology applications is for radiation mitigants to treat individuals inadvertently exposed to lethal doses of radiation (radiation accident, atomic bomb, dirty bomb). Another addresses the problem of chemotherapy induced anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia. G1 Therapeutics is developing trilaciclib, an intravenous cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor that is in Phase Ib/II clinical trials for patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, as well as Phase II clinical trial for patients with first-/second-/third-line metastatic triple-negative breast cancer; lerociclib, an oral CDK4/6 inhibitor that is in Phase Ib/IIa clinical trials for the treatment of breast cancer and in Phase Ib/II clinical trial for non-small cell lung cancer; and G1T48, an oral selective estrogen receptor degrader, which is in Phase I clinical trial.
