Masitinib in treatment of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer continues to have high mortality despite the development of many chemotherapeutic agents. The 5-year relative survival for stage IV patients is less than 3%. This urgent unmet need warrants the development of novel and active therapeutic agents, which focus both on targeting cancer cells and modifying the microenvironment of cancer cells. Areas covered: In this article, the authors review the development of masitinib, a novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor of numerous targets, including c-Kit, PDGFR and FGFR. This review covers its development from the bench to clinical trials assessing its potential in pancreatic cancer. Expert opinion: While masitinib has not shown an increase in overall survival (OS) or progression free survival (PFS) compared to the current standard of care in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, masitinib may have a role in decreasing inflammation related to those patients with increased pain scores with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. If we have the tools to identify accurate subgroups of patients who may benefit from particular therapies, this agent may be of benefit to these patients. Indeed, if more sophisticated biomarkers and the identification of patient subgroups are better explained, the authors believe that masitinib will become part of the armamentarium against pancreatic adenocarcinoma.