Aflibercept
Encyclopedia
Aflibercept is a fusion protein
Fusion protein
Fusion proteins or chimeric proteins are proteins created through the joining of two or more genes which originally coded for separate proteins. Translation of this fusion gene results in a single polypeptide with functional properties derived from each of the original proteins...

 approved in the United States for the treatment of wet macular degeneration. It is under development for the treatment of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

.

It functions as an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor
Vascular endothelial growth factor
Vascular endothelial growth factor is a signal protein produced by cells that stimulates vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. It is part of the system that restores the oxygen supply to tissues when blood circulation is inadequate....

. It is designed to bind to VEGF-A, VEGF-B, and placental growth factor
Placental growth factor
Placental growth factor is a protein that in humans is encoded by the PGF gene.Placental growth factor is a member of the VEGF sub-family - a key molecule in angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, in particular during embryogenesis. The main source of PGF during pregnancy is the placental trophoblast...

 (PIGF).

Aflibercept is being co-developed by Sanofi-Aventis
Sanofi-Aventis
Sanofi S.A. is a multinational pharmaceutical company headquartered in Paris, France, the world's fourth-largest by prescription sales. Sanofi engages in the research and development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical products for sale principally in the prescription market, but the...

 and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Regeneron
Regeneron is a biotechnology company headquartered in Tarrytown, in New York, USA. The company was founded in 1988. Originally focused on neurotrophic factors and their regenerative capabilities , it branched out into the study of both cytokine and tyrosine kinase receptors - leading to the three...

.

Approvals and indications

In November 2011 the United States Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...

 approved aflibercept for the treatment of wet macular degeneration.

Clinical trials

In March 2011 it was reported to have failed its primary endpoint
Endpoint
An endpoint or end point is a mark of termination or completion.* In geometry, an endpoint is a point at which a line segment or ray terminates* Endpoint , the conclusion of a chemical reaction, particularly for titration...

 in the Vital phase III trial
Clinical trial
Clinical trials are a set of procedures in medical research and drug development that are conducted to allow safety and efficacy data to be collected for health interventions...

 for second-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but achieved some secondary endpoints.

In April 2011 it was reported to have achieved its primary endpoint in the Velour phase III clinical trial for second-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....

 (mCRC).

It is also in a phase III trial for hormone-refractory metastatic prostate cancer.
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