In vitro studies using purified 20S proteasomes showed that salinosporamide A has lower EC50 for trypsin-like (T-L) activity than does bortezomib. In vivo animal model studies show marked inhibition of T-L activity in response to salinosporamide A, whereas bortezomib enhances T-L proteasome activity.
Initial results from early-stage clinical trials of salinosporamide A in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma patients were presented at the 2011 American Society of Hematology annual meeting.  Further early-stage trials of the drug in a number of different cancers are ongoing.