Therapeutic compounds and methods
Biguanide compounds and salts thereof are disclosed. Also disclosed are pharmaceutical compositions and therapeutic methods for treating certain diseases including cancer such as breast cancer.
1. A method for treating breast cancer occurrence or recurrence in a human patient in need thereof, comprising:
1) obtaining a biological sample comprising breast cancer cells from the patient;
2) detecting whether N1-hexyl-N5-benzyl biguanide (HBB):
or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, inhibits oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis in the breast cancer cells by contacting the sample with HBB, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and measuring the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) in the breast cancer cells;
3) identifying the human patient as having a breast cancer that is treatable with HBB when inhibition of OCR and ECAR is detected, as compared to OCR and ECAR in the breast cancer cells contacted with a negative control compound; and
4) administering to the human patient in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of HBB, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the breast cancer is estrogen receptor positive (ER+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) negative breast cancer.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising administering paclitaxel to the patient.