FLT3 Inhibitors
10 drugsAbout FLT3
FMS-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3 (FLT3) is a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in hematopoietic cell development. It regulates cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation, making it a key target in oncology.
FLT3 is genetically linked to 16 diseases, including skeletal abnormalities (score 0.85) and hypothyroidism (score 0.77), providing strong support for therapeutic intervention. Loss-of-function variants are protective against rheumatoid arthritis, suggesting inhibition is a viable strategy.
FLT3 is targeted by 10 FDA-approved small molecule drugs, including SUTENT, RYDAPT, and INREBIC. These drugs are used in oncology (4 drugs) and other therapeutic areas (6 drugs), with approvals spanning from 2006 to 2023.
Strategic Insights
ℹ️ How we calculate- White space opportunity in Multiple Myeloma with only 4 trials.
- phase2 represents biological uncertainty with 53% completion.
Human Genetic Evidence Strong
FLT3 has strong genetic support with a maximum score of 0.85 linked to skeletal abnormalities.
The strong genetic support suggests a higher probability of clinical success for FLT3-targeting therapies.
💡 Why inhibition?
- • Loss-of-function variants reduce disease risk (OR < 1)
- • 100% directional consistency across 1 traits
- • Strong signal in immune system disease, musculoskeletal or connective tissue disease, phenotype pathways
Cross-Disease Effects
Trade-off: LowDirection of Effect
100% alignedEvidence Across Diseases
16 totalGWAS and other genetic studies link FLT3 to 16 diseases.
🔗 Colocalization Evidence 20 strong
max H4: 1.00eQTL/pQTL signals for FLT3 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
Nine companies have approved FLT3-targeting drugs, including NATCO PHARMA and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
The fragmented competitive landscape suggests relatively low barriers to entry for new FLT3-targeting therapies.
| Drug | Company | Approved | Indications |
|---|---|---|---|
| INREBIC | Bristol-Myers Squibb | 2019 | 3 |
| GAVRETO | RIGEL PHARMS | 2020 | 2 |
| ICLUSIG | Takeda | 2012 | 2 |
| XOSPATA | ASTELLAS | 2018 | 1 |
| TURALIO | DAIICHI SANKYO INC | 2019 | 1 |
| VANFLYTA | DAIICHI SANKYO INC | 2023 | 1 |
| VONJO | SOBI | 2022 | 1 |
Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
FLT3 is amenable to small molecule drugs, with oral options available for convenient dosing.
Exploring alternative modalities like antibodies or PROTACs could provide a competitive advantage.
Clinical Trials 486 trials
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Failed | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 168 | 92 | 32 | 44 | 74% |
| Phase 2 | 226 | 104 | 60 | 60 | 63% |
| Phase 3 | 69 | 30 | 11 | 28 | 73% |
| Phase 4 | 23 | 14 | 3 | 6 | 82% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Phase 3 Readout Calendar Pro
1 Phase 3 trial testing approved FLT3 drugs across all sponsors.
Coverage: trials whose intervention is an approved drug targeting FLT3. 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 (2006 - 2023)
The first FLT3-targeting drug was approved in 2006, with the most recent approval in 2023.
The continued approval of FLT3 inhibitors indicates sustained interest and potential for further development in this area.
Pro Intelligence Preview
Deep insights for drug target analysis
Competitive Landscape
- • 9 companies competing
- • Market share by company
Full Drug Portfolio
- • All 10 approved drugs
- • Approval dates & indications
Genetic Validation
- • Full genetic evidence table
- • Effect sizes & directions
Approval Timeline
- • Full 10-drug timeline
- • First-of-modality markers
Clinical Trials Analysis
- • Competition: High (15 sponsors)
- • White space: 9 underexplored indications
- • 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 291 clinical trials targeting FLT3.
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