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Ramucirumab: a Novel Anti-Angiogenic Agent in the Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

  • Therapeutic Approaches to Metastatic Colorectal Cancers (V Ricci, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Colorectal Cancer Reports

Abstract

Angiogenesis is a multistep process that plays a key role in cancer growth and metastases. It is mediated through multiple vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) and their ligands. The expression of VEGFR-2 is upregulated in tumor endothelial cells, and it is considered to be the primary receptor driving malignant angiogenesis. Ramucirumab (IMC-1121B, LY3009806) is a fully human monoclonal antibody that directly binds to VEGFR-2 with high affinity and specificity. It is also the most recent addition to our armamentarium of anti-angiogenic drugs approved for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this review is to summarize the pre-clinical and clinical development of ramucirumab and discuss its place in the current treatment paradigm for metastatic CRC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center, Lexington, KY, USA

    Gaurav Goel, Aman Chauhan & Peter J. Hosein

  2. Division of Medical Oncology, University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center, 800 Rose Street, CC449, Lexington, KY, 40503, USA

    Gaurav Goel

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  1. Gaurav Goel
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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Therapeutic Approaches to Metastatic Colorectal Cancers

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Goel, G., Chauhan, A. & Hosein, P. Ramucirumab: a Novel Anti-Angiogenic Agent in the Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer. Curr Colorectal Cancer Rep 12, 232–240 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11888-016-0329-2

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