The latest research progress of Cabozantinib

Cabozantinib (code: Structurally, cabozantinib belongs to the quinazoline class of compounds designed to effectively bind to and inhibit various tyrosine kinase receptors.

The mechanism of action of cabozantinib is complex and comprehensive. It mainly inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFR1, VEGFR2, VEGFR3) to block tumor angiogenesis, thereby cutting off the nutrient supply to the tumor. In addition, it targets MET and AXL receptors, which play key roles in tumor invasion and metastasis. In addition, cabozantinib shows significant inhibitory effects on RET, ROS1, NTRK and KIT receptors, which contributes to its broad-spectrum anti-tumor activity in various cancers. This multi-target mechanism not only enhances the therapeutic effect but also reduces the risk of drug resistance.

1. Clinical indications and therapeutic applications

Cabozantinib has been approved by the FDA to treat several malignancies; each indication has specific clinical value and application scenarios. Cabozantinib has become an important second-line treatment option in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Multiple clinical studies have confirmed that cabozantinib significantly extends progression-free survival (PFS) compared with everolimus in patients with advanced or metastatic renal cancer who have previously received anti-angiogenic therapy. Notably, in the METEOR study, patients treated with cabozantinib achieved a median overall survival (OS) of 21.4 months compared with 17.1 months in the control group—an improvement that makes it the standard treatment recommended in RCC guidelines.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma(MTC), a rare neuroendocrine tumor with limited traditional treatment options, now sees new hope with the approval of cabozantinib, which significantly extends PFS while improving symptoms related to pain management and improving patient quality of life, especially for those who are unable to undergo surgery. For hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cabozantinib is mainly used as a second-line treatment after sorafenib failure. The results of the CELESTIAL trial showed that OS improved to 10.2 months and PFS was 5.2 months, providing new opportunities for liver cancer patients. Not only that, the application of cabozantinib in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET) has also been intensively studied. By comparing the clinical effects of different treatment options, cabozantinib has also demonstrated its clinical value in the treatment of pNET, providing patients with more choices.

2. Global Market Availability and Accessibility Status

Cabozantinib was first approved by the FDA in November 2012 under the trade name Cometriq, initially for MTC, and subsequently received further approvals, including Cabometyx tablets specifically for RCC since 2016; currently, it has been authorized in many countries, such as EU countries, Canada, Australia, etc. In China, however, the original version remains unapproved, although local generic manufacturers are expected to apply soon, paving the way for market entry within the next few years, and a lack of national insurance reimbursement currently limits access, although potential future improvements are being driven by accumulated data and economic evaluations based on health policies that influence broader coverage plans.

Keyword tags: cabozantinib, Cabozantinib, research progress, combination therapy, immunotherapy, renal cell carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, thyroid cancer, pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Reference materials:https://www.oreateai.com/blog/clinical-applications-and-research-progress-of-multitarget-broadspectrum-anticancer-targeted-drug-cabozantinib/8f26fb6d00f836fbe35958e7b8f6d206