Development of angiogenesis inhibitors for cancer therapy

Abundant literature exists demonstrating that tumors are dependent on angiogenesis for both tumor growth and invasion. The extent of angiogenesis in primary tumors has been demonstrated to be associated with a negative prognosis in several tumors including non-small cell lung carcinoma, prostate cancer, and in node-negative breast cancer, where angiogenesis is an independent negative prognostic factor. These data demonstrate the significance of angiogenesis in tumor biology and indicate that it can be utilized as a target for novel therapeutic strategies. The recent expansion of knowledge into the specific pathways of tumor angiogenesis has provided reagents which can now be utilized to provide markers of efficacy of antiangiogenic agents in cancer patients. A critical part of the development of angiogenesis inhibitors for cancer therapy is the clinical trial strategy. Since these agents are primarily thought to be cytostatic, carefully designed trials must be conducted which focus on appropriate endpoints and integrate relevant biologic markers to support efficacy.