MCL1 MCL1 apoptosis regulator, BCL2 family member
ENSG00000143384 · protein coding · Open Targets profile
Involved in the regulation of apoptosis versus cell survival, and in the maintenance of viability but not of proliferation. Mediates its effects by interactions with a number of other regulators of apoptosis. Isoform 1 inhibits apoptosis. Isoform 2 promotes apoptosis. .
Each band is a group of drugs. It runs from the kind of drug on the left to the furthest stage that drug has reached in any disease on the right. Thicker bands mean more drugs.
Approved bands are highlighted. Withdrawn means the drug was pulled from the market or from development. A combined phase counts as the later one (Phase 1/2 is shown as Phase 2). Hover a band for the drug names. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.
Each row is a cancer, strongest overall evidence first. The two dots show how strong the inherited (germline) and tumour-mutation (somatic) evidence is; the line between them is the gap.
Scores run from 0 (no evidence) to 1 (strongest). A missing dot at 0 means Open Targets holds no evidence of that kind. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.
Tractability
- Small molecule
- Advanced Clinical, Structure with Ligand, High-Quality Ligand, Med-Quality Pocket, Druggable Family
- Antibody
- UniProt SigP or TMHMM
- PROTAC
- Literature, UniProt Ubiquitination, Database Ubiquitination, Half-life Data, Small Molecule Binder
gnomAD loss of function constraint: o/e 0.1654299944639206 (upper bound 0.37856999039649963). Low values mean loss of function is poorly tolerated, a safety flag for inhibition.
Who runs trials of these drugs
No named investigators on registry trials of MCL1's approved or late-stage drugs in the last three years.
8 trials of drugs against MCL1 were stopped early; 4 give no reason
Terminated, withdrawn and suspended interventional trials of obatoclax, newest update first, live from ClinicalTrials.gov. Each reason is quoted exactly as the registry gives it; we do not sort reasons into safety, efficacy or business. Dates are the last registry update. Showing the 8 most recent of 8.
- terminated · 2016-07-22 · Gemin X · Obatoclax Mesylate“Study terminated prematurely due to financial contraints.”
- terminated · 2015-12-04 · National Cancer Institute (NCI) · obatoclax mesylateNo reason given
- terminated · 2015-01-12 · National Cancer Institute (NCI) · obatoclax mesylate“This trial was terminated due to slow accrual and the drug supply of Obatoclax during the phase I; therefore, the phase II portion will never open.”
- terminated · 2014-05-01 · National Cancer Institute (NCI) · obatoclax mesylateNo reason given
- terminated · 2013-09-30 · National Cancer Institute (NCI) · obatoclax mesylateNo reason given
- withdrawn · 2013-06-06 · National Cancer Institute (NCI) · obatoclax mesylate“No patients accrued.”
- withdrawn · 2012-08-15 · Cephalon · Obatoclax Mesylate, Carboplatine and Etoposide“Business Decision”
- terminated · 2011-11-04 · M.D. Anderson Cancer Center · Obatoclax MesylateNo reason given
Paediatric incentives and obligations for MCL1's drugs
For obatoclax: what EMA and FDA publish about paediatric plans, orphan status and pediatric approvals, and how many registered studies take children. Each line is a yes, no or not published fact from the record linked under it; none of it is a forecast.
- FDA pediatric target list: yes · MCL1 is on the list. Membership alone neither requires nor waives a pediatric study.Rule: Target is on FDA's Pediatric Molecular Target List (relevant targets). Source: FDA Pediatric Molecular Target List (Listed as February 2026 on the FDA Pediatric Oncology page; the file served is 9.7.22_the_relevant_molecular_target_list.xlsx, whose Summary of Changes sheet is headed 'SEPTEMBER 2022 UPDATE' (footnote date 2022-09-01)), 2026-11-11
- EU paediatric investigation plan: no · No EMA paediatric investigation plan decision names obatoclaxRule: An EMA PIP decision (agreement, modification or waiver) lists the drug as its active substance, exact name. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- EU orphan designation: no · No EU orphan designation names obatoclaxRule: An EU orphan designation lists the drug as its active substance (exact name) or belongs to a medicine that does; withdrawn and expired designations are listed with their status. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- Authorised in the EU: no · EMA lists no centrally authorised medicine of obatoclaxRule: An EMA medicine record lists the drug as its active substance or INN, exact name; national-only authorisations are not in this file. Source: EMA data download (dated snapshot), 2026-11-11
- FDA orphan designation: not published · FDA's orphan designation database turns away automated requests, so this app does not read it; search it by hand at the linkRule: Would be: an FDA orphan designation names the drug. Source: FDA orphan designations search
- FDA pediatric oncology approval: no · FDA's table lists no pediatric approval of obatoclaxRule: FDA's Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals table names the drug. Source: FDA Pediatric Oncology Drug Approvals (content current as of 2026-03-03), 2026-11-11
- Registered studies open to children: yes · 1 interventional studies of obatoclax include patients under 18; 0 are recruiting, not yet recruiting or activeRule: The registry's age group includes Child (birth to 17 years), which also counts studies that set no minimum age. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov search, 2026-11-11
Rare pediatric disease voucher. FDA, content current as of 29 Apr 2026: “As of February 3, 2026, enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, the rare pediatric disease PRV program will sunset after September 30, 2029. FDA may not award any PRVs under this program after September 30, 2029.” Voucher sale prices are not shown here; they appear only as company-reported news. FDA: Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Priority Review Voucher Programs
All 2 drugs and clinical candidates as a table
Each drug, stage and indication links to its Open Targets record, where the trials and approvals behind it are listed. Salt forms (for example a mesylate) are listed as Open Targets records them, as separate entries.
| Drug | Type | Highest stage | Indications | Source records |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OBATOCLAX MESYLATE | Small molecule | phase 3 | small cell lung carcinoma, Hodgkins lymphoma, myelofibrosis, Thrombocytopenia, anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, systemic mastocytosis, non-small cell lung carcinoma, +10 more | Open Targets · ChEMBL |
| OBATOCLAX | Small molecule | phase 2 | follicular lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia, small cell lung carcinoma | Open Targets · ChEMBL |