Liane Bhatt

Liane Bhatt has led clinical pharmacology efforts for galunisertib (LY2157299), a small molecule TGF-beta receptor I kinase inhibitor that was one of the first TGF-beta pathway inhibitors to demonstrate clinical activity in cancer patients. Her research addressed the critical safety challenge of TGF-beta inhibition by developing intermittent dosing schedules that provide efficacy while minimizing cardiovascular toxicity concerns. She showed that galunisertib reduces plasma TGF-beta levels and modulates the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma and pancreatic cancer. Her clinical pharmacology work has informed the development of next-generation TGF-beta inhibitors with improved therapeutic windows.