Semaxanib

Overview
Semaxanib (proposed INN, also semaxinib or SU5416) is a drug intended for use in the treatment of cancer. It is still at an experimental stage and as such has not yet received a licence for use on human patients (except in the setting of a clinical trial). Semaxanib is a potent and selective synthetic inhibitor of the Flk-1/KDR vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor tyrosine kinase. It targets the VEGF pathway, and both in vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated antiangiogenic potential.

On February 2002, Pharmacia, the developer of semaxanib, prematurely ended Phase III clinical trials it was conducting on the drug's effectiveness in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer due to discouraging results. Other studies, at earlier phases, have since been conducted. However, due to the prospect of next-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors and the ineffaciousness of semaxanib in clinic trials, further development of the drug has been discontinued.