Pazopanib for the treatment of advanced renal cell cancer

Introduction: Understanding of the underlying mechanisms of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has increased dramatically over the past few years, leading to the development of several targeted biological therapies. Pazopanib is an orally available multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits VEGF receptors 1, 2 and 3, platelet-derived growth factor receptors alpha and beta and the cytokine receptor, KIT. Pazopanib was first approved in the US for the treatment of advanced RCC in 2009. Areas covered: This review discusses the scientific rationale for the use of pazopanib in advanced RCC, summarising pre-clinical and clinical study data, including results from the most recent Phase III clinical studies. The design of future clinical studies for pazopanib is also discussed. Expert opinion: The efficacy and safety of pazopanib have been demonstrated in several clinical trials, as well as non-inferiority to sunitinib for progression-free survival. Pazopanib could become the most commonly used drug for first-line therapy of advanced RCC.