Tubulin Inhibitors
7 drugsAbout Tubulin
Microtubules are dynamic cylindrical polymers composed of α- and β-tubulin subunits, essential for cell division, intracellular transport, and cell shape. Disrupting microtubule function can significantly affect cellular processes. This makes them attractive targets, particularly in oncology.
Microtubules have long been recognized as valuable targets for drug development, especially in oncology. Currently, there is no genetic evidence available linking microtubules directly to specific diseases, but the success of existing drugs highlights their therapeutic potential.
Three FDA-approved drugs target microtubules, including DOCIVYX, KLISYRI, and ABRAXANE. All three drugs are small molecules, with applications spanning oncology and other therapeutic areas.
Tubulin Genetic Evidence Strong
There is currently no genetic evidence data available for microtubules as a drug target.
Absence of genetic validation may increase clinical trial risk compared to genetically validated targets.
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 Tubulin Drugs
The competitive landscape includes three companies with approved drugs: ALMIRALL, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and AVYXA HOLDINGS.
The limited number of players suggests relatively low barriers to entry in this space.
| Drug | Company | Approved | Indications |
|---|---|---|---|
| ERIBULIN MESYLATE | GLAND | 2024 | 2 |
| JEVTANA KIT | Sanofi | 2010 | 1 |
| IXEMPRA KIT | R-PHARM US LLC | 2007 | 1 |
| ABRAXANE | Bristol-Myers Squibb | 2005 | - |
Tubulin Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
Tubulin is druggable by small molecules, though no oral formulations are currently approved.
Exploring alternative modalities like antibodies or PROTACs could provide a competitive advantage.
Tubulin Clinical Trials 3,823 trials
Phase 1-4 trials started in 2008 or later that test an FDA-approved drug acting on Tubulin. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov. How we count
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Stopped | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 1100 | 532 | 260 | 301 | 67% |
| Phase 2 | 1915 | 760 | 329 | 821 | 70% |
| Phase 3 | 758 | 293 | 82 | 379 | 78% |
| Phase 4 | 50 | 30 | 3 | 17 | 91% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Top Drugs
Phase 3 Readout Calendar Pro
8 Phase 3 trials testing approved Tubulin drugs across all sponsors.
Coverage: trials whose intervention is an approved drug targeting Tubulin. Pre-approval candidates with development codes (e.g. AZD0901, MK-7240) are not yet linked. Anchored on CT.gov primary completion date.
Tubulin Drug Approval Timeline (2005 - 2024)
The first microtubule-targeting drug was approved in 2005, with the most recent approval in 2022.
The approval timeline indicates continued interest and potential for further innovation in this area.
Pro Intelligence Preview
Deep insights for drug target analysis
Competitive Landscape
- • 7 companies competing
- • Market share by company
Full Drug Portfolio
- • All 7 approved drugs
- • Approval dates & indications
Genetic Validation
- • Full genetic evidence table
- • Effect sizes & directions
Approval Timeline
- • Full 7-drug timeline
- • First-of-modality markers
Clinical Trials Analysis
- • Sponsors: 1,063 (397 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 Tubulin. A trial counts if an approved drug acting on 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.