Dr. Bendell on c-MET Inhibition in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Johanna Bendell, MD, Director of GI Cancer Research Program, Associate Director, Drug Development Program, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses c-MET inhibition in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

A randomized phase II study compared tivantinib, a c-MET tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), to best supportive care in the second-line setting for patients with advanced HCC. Patients with MET-high HCC saw improvement in progression-free survival and overall survival. There is a need for further exploration of anti-c-MET drugs for this patient population, Bendell says.

A phase I/II study from the 2013 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium combined E7050 (golvantinib), a c-MET and VEGFR TKI, with sorafenib, the standard of care for patients with advanced HCC. The phase I portion of the trial has been completed and is now moving on to phase II.