The majority of women with ovarian cancer present with advanced disease, and ultimately relapse following primary surgery and platinum-taxane chemotherapy. Despite recent advances in the development of targeted agents in ovarian cancer, survival rates remain poor. The promising activity of bevacizumab, a VEGF receptor inhibitor, has stimulated research on the use of additional anti-angiogenic agents in ovarian cancer. Pazopanib, an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, targets VEGF receptor-1, -2 and -3, platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α and -β and c-kit; resulting in the inhibition of angiogenesis and tumor proliferation. Early phase studies have demonstrated promising efficacy and tolerability. To date, there has been one Phase III trial of pazopanib in ovarian cancer, demonstrating a progression-free survival benefit in women treated with maintenance pazopanib following primary surgery and systemic therapy. This article summarizes the preclinical and clinical data of pazopanib in ovarian cancer, highlighting future research options for this agent.
Keywords: angiogenesis; ovarian cancer; pazopanib; tyrosine kinase inhibitor.