In vitro, AS602801 exhibits cytotoxicity against both serum-cultured non-stem cancer cells and cancer stem cells derived from human pancreatic cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, ovarian cancer and glioblastoma at concentrations that does not decrease the viability of normal human fibroblasts. AS602801 also inhibits the self-renewal and tumor-initiating capacity of cancer stem cells surviving AS602801 treatment.