Par-4 agonists for the treatment of cancer

A method for treating cancer, comprising increasing expression of prostate apoptosis response 4 (PAR-4) in a patient having cancer by administering cefuroxime, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof, as a single agent or in combination with an anti-cancer agent selected from the group consisting of monoclonal antibodies, kinase inhibitors, microtubule inhibitors, topoisomerase inhibitors, alkylating agents, antitumor antibiotics, antimetabolites, proteosome inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, HDAC inhibitors, Hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitors, hormonal agents, mTOR inhibitors, salts thereof, and combinations thereof.

The method according to claim 1, wherein the cefuroxime, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof, is administered in combination with an antimetabolite selected from azacitidine, capecitabine, cladribine, clofarabine cytarabine, decitabine, fludarabine, fluorouracil, gemcitabine, hydroxyurea, mercaptopurine, methotrexate, nelarabine, pemetrexed, pralatrexate, thioguanine, trifluridine, salts thereof, and combinations thereof.

The method according to claim 1, wherein the cefuroxime, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof, is administered in combination with a hormonal agent selected from the group consisting of abiraterone, anastrozole, bicalutamide, degarelix, enzalutamide, exemestane, flutamide, fulvestrant, goserelin, letrozole leuprolide, megestrol, raloxifene tamoxifen, toremifene, salts thereof, and combinations thereof.

A pharmaceutical composition comprising cefuroxime and at least one additional therapeutic agent selected from the group consisting of monoclonal antibodies, kinase inhibitors, microtubule inhibitors, topoisomerase inhibitors, alkylating agents, antitumor antibiotics, antimetabolites, proteosome inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, HDAC inhibitors, Hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitors, hormonal agents, mTOR inhibitors, salts thereof, and combinations thereof.

A kit comprising cefuroxime and at least one other therapeutic agent selected from the group consisting of monoclonal antibodies, kinase inhibitors, microtubule inhibitors, topoisomerase inhibitors, alkylating agents, antitumor antibiotics, antimetabolites, proteosome inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, HDAC inhibitors, Hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitors, hormonal agents, mTOR inhibitors, salts thereof, and combinations thereof.