Combination matrix to determine Bliss independence synergy scores

  • Combining two drugs that act on different targets is a cornerstone of cancer therapy. Combination therapy can produce a more effective treatment response in less cycles, and therefore reduces the incidence of drug resistance.

  • Several combination therapies are approved by the FDA for the treatment of cancer, among which the combination of MEK inhibitors and B-RAF inhibitors in advanced melanoma.

  • The combination of the selective MEK inhibitor binimetinib and the selective B-RAF inhibitor encorafenib showed synergistic effects at low concentrations of both drugs in a melanoma cell line.

  • Oncolines uses a 6 by 6 combination matrix to determine synergistic effects. Synergy scores are calculated using the Bliss independence model.
Figure 1: Combination matrix of the selective MEK inhibitor binimetinib and the selective B-RAF inhibitor encorafenib in B-RAF-mutant melanoma cell line G-361.