Table 1. Targeted agents that have been studied yet failed to provide benefit in the treatment of SCLC.
| Agent | Mechanism of action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Sorafenib | Inhibits intracellular Raf kinases, most notably BRAF, and cell surface kinase receptors most notably, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFR) | No benefit |
| Thalidomide | Immunomodulatory and antiangiogenic effects vary given targeted cancer | No benefit |
| Bevacizumab | Monoclonal antibody which binds VEGFR | No benefit |
| Sunitinib | Multi receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (RTKI) including VEGFR | No benefit in OS |
| Aflibercept | VEGF trap inhibiting VEGF A and B | No benefit |
| Marimastat | Matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor | No benefit |
| Vandetanib | Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) of epidermal growth factor reception (EGFR) and VEGF | No benefit |
| Gefitinib | TKI inhibits multiple cell surface receptors including EGFR | No benefit |
| Imatinib | Inhibits Bcr-Able tyrosine kinase produced by the Philadelphia chromosome | No benefit |
| Bortezomib | Proteasome inhibitor | No benefit |
| Oblimersen | Antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide directed at blocking production of Bcl-2 | No benefit |
| Temsirolimus | Mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor | No benefit |
| AT 101 | Inhibitor of the anti-apoptotic Bcl proteins (Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Bcl-W, and Mcl-1) and an inducer of the pro-apoptotic proteins noxa and puma | No benefit |
| Romidepsin | Histone deacetylase inhibitor | No benefit |
| Dasatinib | Second generation BCR-ABL TKI | No benefit |
| Cediranib | TKI targeting VEGFR-1, 2, and 3, PDGFR-alpha/beta, FGFR-1, and c-kit | No benefit |
SCLC, small cell lung cancer; OS, overall survival; PDGFR, platelet derived growth factor receptor; FGFR, fibroblast growth factor receptor.