NEW MEDICINE Release: Inhibition of the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Pathway for the Treatment of Cancer

• Avastin, a VEGF pathway inhibitor with global revenues of approximately $6.2 billion in fiscal 2010, is the most successful agent ever approved for the treatment of cancer

• In addition to over 500 ongoing trials with Avastin in combination with other marketed anticancer agents, the drug is also under investigation in combination regimens in about 78 trials with approximately 38 novel (unapproved) agents, 33 of which target more than 37 unique molecular moieties

• To date, more than 100 VEGF inhibitors have been investigated preclinically or clinically; 34 are currently in active clinical development. Most of the VEGF pathway inhibitors in clinical development are multi-targeted, addressing several VEGF family members plus other targets

• Increased focus on targeted cancer drugs and the high cost of treatment associated with their use underscore the pressing need for new methods (e.g., predictive biomarkers) to select specific drugs for specific patients.

Inhibition of the VEGF pathway that blocks angiogenesis represents a proven approach in the treatment of cancer. However, despite the widespread adoption and global market success of Avastin as an anticancer approach in numerous indications, inhibition of the VEGF pathway has produced marginal survival benefits and can cause serious adverse events. There is a pressing need for new treatment strategies with approved agents and for novel agents that perform better in the clinic.

Future Oncology has published a review of this sector, which is free. By logging in to www.nmok.net, subscribers may access a version of this review that provides extensive links to records in New Medicine's Oncology KnowledgeBASE (nm/OK).