Cyclin E1 predicts survival with azenosertib

The interim analysis of the DENALI Part 1b study, a phase II trial of the oral WEE1 inhibitor azenosertib, found that patients whose tumors overexpressed Cyclin E1 lived a median of 15.8 months, compared with 7.5 months for Cyclin E1‑negative patients. No new safety signals were reported.

Cyclin E1 overexpression is present in roughly half of patients with platinum‑resistant ovarian cancer and, according to the abstract presented at ESMO 2026, it emerged as a highly selective and predictive biomarker for response to azenosertib. The data suggest that the drug’s benefit is concentrated in the Cyclin E1‑positive subgroup, with a median overall survival that outpaces historical single‑agent chemotherapy benchmarks.

Azenosertib is an orally bioavailable inhibitor of the checkpoint kinase WEE1, designed to abrogate the G2/M cell‑cycle arrest and trigger mitotic catastrophe in tumour cells.