Yale Trial Shows Promise for Prostate Cancer Drug

A Phase I/II study of bavdegalutamide, the first PROTAC androgen receptor degrader tested in patients, reported encouraging results in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Cancer

Clear glass laboratory flasks of pale amber liquid sit on a steel bench in a bright research lab. — Yale researchers reported encouraging Phase I/II results on Oct. 9 for bavdegalutamide, a PROTAC androgen receptor degrader, in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Researchers led by Yale reported promising Phase I/II trial results for bavdegalutamide in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, published October 9 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Prostate-specific antigen decreased after treatment, and soft tissue lesion regressions and pain improvements were observed.

Why it matters

Bavdegalutamide was designed to treat mCRPC by bypassing resistance to other hormone therapies, a common obstacle for patients with advanced disease. The results offer an early signal for a new class of drugs in a cancer that remains a major cause of death among American men.

The Phase I/II trial identified 420 milligrams daily as a safe dose for previously treated patients, with the greater PSA reduction seen in tumors carrying T878 and/or H875 mutations. Whether these mutation-linked responses hold in larger, later-stage studies remains unknown.

The players

Yale University

Yale is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, whose researchers have been central to developing PROTAC protein-degradation technology.

Craig Crews

Craig Crews is a Yale chemical biologist widely credited with pioneering PROTAC technology for targeted protein degradation.

The details

Bavdegalutamide works through PROTAC technology, which uses the cell's natural protein-recycling process to break down androgen receptors. Yale researcher Craig Crews pioneered PROTACs, and the company's second candidate, ARV 766, is now in Phase I and Phase II trials.

October 9: Results published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology

Health Landscape

The first PROTAC approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is used for breast cancer, and bavdegalutamide extends that mechanism to prostate cancer. The trial marks an early test of whether protein-degradation drugs can address resistance to existing hormone therapies.

For men with advanced prostate cancer whose disease has stopped responding to hormone therapy, this research points toward a potential future treatment option. Patients and families should discuss any eligibility for clinical trials of such candidates with their oncologists.

The takeaway

The early trial data suggests that targeting androgen receptors through protein degradation may offer a new route for men whose prostate cancer has resisted standard hormone treatments. Further trials will determine whether these early signals translate into lasting benefit.