CDK6 Inhibitors
4 drugsAbout CDK6
Cyclin Dependent Kinase 6 (CDK6) is a protein kinase regulating cell cycle progression from G1 to S phase. It controls cell division, making it a key target in oncology.
Human genetics provide moderate support for CDK6 as a therapeutic target, with variants linked to Behcet's syndrome (score 0.68) and microcephaly (score 0.60). Inhibition is likely beneficial.
CDK6 is targeted by 4 FDA-approved small molecule drugs: IBRANCE, KISQALI, VERZENIO and COSELA. Two are approved for oncology and two in other therapeutic areas.
Strategic Insights
ℹ️ How we calculate- Validated target with strong trial activity and 80% attractiveness score.
- phase3 represents biological uncertainty with 50% completion.
Human Genetic Evidence Moderate
Genetic evidence offers moderate support for CDK6, with a max score of 0.68.
Further validation of top genetic associations like Behcet's could expand therapeutic applications.
💡 Why inhibition?
- • Gain-of-function variants increase disease risk — blocking overactivity may help
- • 100% directional consistency across 1 traits
- • Strong signal in urinary system disease, cancer or benign tumor pathways
Cross-Disease Effects
Trade-off: LowDirection of Effect
100% alignedEvidence Across Diseases
19 totalGWAS and other genetic studies link CDK6 to 19 diseases.
🔗 Colocalization Evidence 20 strong
max H4: 1.00eQTL/pQTL signals for CDK6 colocalize with these GWAS traits, providing causal evidence that gene expression changes drive disease risk.
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 Drugs
Four companies have approved CDK6 drugs: Pfizer, Novartis, Eli Lilly, and PHARMACOSMOS.
The presence of four major players indicates a moderately competitive market.
Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
CDK6 is amenable to small molecule drugs, with oral options available for convenient dosing.
Exploring alternative modalities like PROTACs could provide differentiation.
Clinical Trials 561 trials
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Failed | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 224 | 95 | 34 | 93 | 74% |
| Phase 2 | 242 | 81 | 31 | 128 | 72% |
| Phase 3 | 73 | 18 | 10 | 45 | 64% |
| Phase 4 | 22 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 56% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Phase 3 Readout Calendar Pro
8 Phase 3 trials testing approved CDK6 drugs across all sponsors.
Coverage: trials whose intervention is an approved drug targeting CDK6. Pre-approval candidates with development codes (e.g. AZD0901, MK-7240) are not yet linked. Anchored on CT.gov primary completion date.
Drug Approval Timeline (2015 - 2021)
The first CDK6 inhibitor was approved in 2015, with the most recent in 2021.
The relatively short approval span suggests continued interest and potential for further development.
Pro Intelligence Preview
Deep insights for drug target analysis
Competitive Landscape
- • 4 companies competing
- • Market share by company
Full Drug Portfolio
- • All 4 approved drugs
- • Approval dates & indications
Genetic Validation
- • Full genetic evidence table
- • Effect sizes & directions
Approval Timeline
- • Full 4-drug timeline
- • First-of-modality markers
Clinical Trials Analysis
- • Competition: High (15 sponsors)
- • Success rates by condition
Full summary • All drugs • Genetic evidence • Trials • Timeline
How We Calculate These Metrics
Target Attractiveness Score
A 0-100 score based on trial activity, sponsor diversity, and completion rates. Calculated from 507 clinical trials targeting CDK6.
Completion rate: Percentage of trials that reached their planned endpoint. Trials terminated early, withdrawn, or suspended are not counted—these often indicate safety issues, lack of efficacy, or strategic pivots.
- Highly Attractive (80+): High trial activity, many sponsors, strong completion rates
- Attractive (60-79): Good trial activity and validation
- Moderate (40-59): Moderate interest from sponsors
- Low (under 40): Limited trial activity or validation concerns
Strategic Insights
Auto-generated insights based on trial analytics including competition intensity, white space opportunities, modality shifts, and failure patterns. We analyze trial sponsors, phases, indications, and outcomes.
Risk Signals
- High Competition: Many sponsors competing for this target (may reduce market opportunity)
- High Failure Risk: Low trial completion rates suggest development challenges
- Low Validation: Limited trial activity or poor outcomes indicate uncertain viability
- White Space Available: Underexplored indications present opportunities