Vismodegib for Basal Cell Carcinoma and Beyond: What Dermatologists Need to Know

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common cutaneous malignancy. Although indolent, BCCs can be locally aggressive if untreated. Dysregulated hedgehog (Hh) signaling leads to uncontrolled proliferation in BCC. Vismodegib is a small-molecule antagonist of the Hh pathway that binds to smoothened (SMO), a transmembrane protein, and causes inhibition of an aberrant activation of the Hh pathway. Vismodegib is the first drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the management of locally advanced or metastatic BCC.