beta-tubulin Inhibitors
5 drugsAbout beta-tubulin
Beta-tubulin is a key component of microtubules, dynamic structures essential for cell division, intracellular transport, and cell shape maintenance. Disrupting microtubule function by targeting beta-tubulin can have significant therapeutic effects on cellular processes.
Human genetic studies provide strong validation for beta-tubulin (TUBB) as a therapeutic target (max score 0.90). Variants are linked to complex cortical dysplasia (0.90) and multiple benign skin creases (0.84), supporting therapies modulating its function.
Three FDA-approved small molecule drugs, including COLCRYS, GLOPERBA, and MITIGARE, target beta-tubulin for other therapeutic areas. These drugs, developed by companies like AR HOLDING CO INC, SCILEX PHARMS and Hikma, highlight the target's clinical relevance.
beta-tubulin Genetic Evidence Strong
Strong genetic evidence (max score 0.90) links beta-tubulin to multiple diseases.
Strong genetic support increases the probability of clinical trial success.
Evidence Across Diseases
7 totalGWAS and other genetic studies link TUBB to 7 diseases.
Understanding these scores
Association Score (0-1): Combines all evidence types (genetic, literature, drugs, animal models). Higher = more evidence linking target to disease. This is a ranking heuristic, not a confidence score.
L2G Score: Open Targets uses a machine learning model (Locus-to-Gene) to predict which gene is causal at each GWAS locus. L2G=0.5 means ~50% probability of being the causal gene. Only associations with L2G > 0.05 are included.
Odds Ratio (OR): From gene burden studies (UK Biobank, AstraZeneca PheWAS). Measures how loss-of-function variants affect disease risk. OR<1 = protective (inhibiting target may help), OR>1 = risk (losing function causes disease).
Beta (β): Effect size for continuous traits. β<0 = protective, β>0 = risk.
Clinical Translation (~1.8x): Based on Nelson et al. 2015: drug targets with genetic evidence have ~2x higher success rates in clinical trials. We estimate: Strong support (score ≥0.7) → ~1.8x, Moderate (0.3-0.7) → ~1.3x, Weak → baseline.
Colocalization (H4): Tests whether a GWAS signal and an eQTL/pQTL signal share the same causal variant. H4 is the posterior probability that both traits are associated AND share a causal variant. H4 > 0.8 = strong evidence that gene expression/protein levels drive disease risk. This links genetic variation → gene expression → disease, supporting the target-disease connection.
Top beta-tubulin Drugs
The competitive landscape includes three companies with approved drugs.
The limited number of players suggests relatively low barriers to entry in this market.
| Drug | Company | Approved | Indications |
|---|---|---|---|
| MITIGARE | Hikma | 2014 | 1 |
| GLOPERBA | SCILEX PHARMS | 2019 | 1 |
beta-tubulin Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
beta-tubulin is amenable to small molecule drugs, with oral options available for convenient dosing.
Exploring alternative modalities like antibodies or peptides could provide a competitive advantage.
beta-tubulin Clinical Trials 252 trials
Phase 1-4 trials started in 2008 or later that test an FDA-approved drug acting on beta-tubulin. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov. How we count
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Stopped | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 54 | 48 | 1 | 5 | 98% |
| Phase 2 | 81 | 45 | 11 | 25 | 80% |
| Phase 3 | 67 | 28 | 7 | 32 | 80% |
| Phase 4 | 50 | 28 | 5 | 16 | 85% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Top Drugs
beta-tubulin Drug Approval Timeline (1976 - 2019)
The first drug was approved in 2009 (COLCRYS), and the most recent in 2019 (GLOPERBA).
The approval timeline indicates a relatively stable, but not saturated, market.
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Deep insights for drug target analysis
Competitive Landscape
- • 5 companies competing
- • Market share by company
Full Drug Portfolio
- • All 5 approved drugs
- • Approval dates & indications
Genetic Validation
- • Full genetic evidence table
- • Effect sizes & directions
Approval Timeline
- • Full 5-drug timeline
- • First-of-modality markers
Clinical Trials Analysis
- • Sponsors: 172 (36 companies)
- • Completion rates by condition
Full summary • All drugs • Genetic evidence • Trials • Timeline
How We Count Trials
- Trials: phase 1-4 interventional trials on ClinicalTrials.gov that started in 2008 or later and test an FDA-approved drug acting on beta-tubulin. A trial counts if an approved drug acting on beta-tubulin is in any arm, including as a comparator, and a trial that tests two such drugs counts once. Trials that test only unapproved drugs are not counted. A trial listed as phase 1/2 counts as phase 1, and phase 2/3 as phase 2.
- Active: recruiting, not yet recruiting, enrolling by invitation, or active and no longer recruiting.
- Completion rate: of the trials that have ended, the share marked Completed rather than Terminated or Withdrawn. Completed means the trial ended as planned; it does not mean the drug worked. Suspended trials are not counted as ended.
- Stopped: terminated or withdrawn. Trials stop for many reasons, including slow enrolment and business decisions, not only safety or efficacy.
- Sponsors: the lead sponsor of each trial. Companies are the sponsors ClinicalTrials.gov classes as industry; the rest are universities, hospitals, cooperative groups, government bodies and individuals.