Widening the angiogenesis net

Antibody-based therapeutics that inhibit angiogenesis by targeting VEGF have established themselves as an important but not infallible weapon in cancer treatment. Last week, Roche turned to ThromboGenics N.V. and BioInvent International AB to shore up its angiogenesis inhibitor franchise, securing an exclusive global license to antibody-based candidates that target placental growth factor (PlGF).

Anti-VEGF mAbs such as Avastin bevacizumab and Lucentis ranibizumab, both developed by Genentech Inc., are not without limitations. First, VEGF inhibitors also act on healthy tissues and thus are prone to side effects. Second, other angiogenesis factors switch on during cancer progression and induce resistance to anti-VEGF monotherapy...