Table 2.

Molecularly-targeted drugs evaluated in clinical trials for gastric cancer

Drug name	Type	Molecular effect	Primary cancer which it is used	Effect on gastric cancer in studies
Trastuzumab[17]	Fully humanized monoclonal antibody	Anti-HER-2 receptor protein	Breast cancer	Effective
				First approved molecular therapy
Sunitinib[17]	Oral multi-tyrosine kinase inhibitor	Anti- VEGF, PDGF and KIT receptors	Gastrintestinal stromal tumors, renal cell carcinoma and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors	Limited therapeutic effect
Bevacizumab[131,132]	Fully humanized monoclonal antibody	Anti-VEGF	Colorectal cancer, non small cell lung cancer and breast cancer	Gives better survival in peritoneal metastatic disease or combined with anti-HER-2 therapy
Lapatinib[17]	Oral dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor	Anti-EGFR and HER-2	HER-2 positive advanced breast cancer	Not effective
Everolimus[17]	Oral mTOR inhibitor	Anti-intracellular receptor FKBP12	Renal cancer	Effective in advanced gastric cancer
Ramucirumab[17]	Fully humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody	Anti-VEGFR-2	Gastric and lung cancer	Effective approved
Cetuximab[17]	Monoclonal IgG antibody	Anti-EGFR	Colorectal cancer	Not effective
Panitumumab[17]	Fully humanized IgG2 monoclonal antibody	Anti-EGFR	Advanced colorectal cancer	Not effective
Gefitinib[133]	Tyrosine kinase inhibitor	Anti- EGFR	EGFR mutation positive lung cancer	Not effective
Matuzumab[134]	Fully humanized monoclonal antibody	Anti-EGFR	Not yet approved in any other indication	Moderately effective
Tivantinib[94]	Tyrosine kinase inhibitor	Selective c-Met inhibitor	Not yet approved in any other indication	moderately effective
Onartuzumab[135]	Fully humanized monoclonal antibody	Anti-extracellulardomain of the tyrosine kinase receptor MET	Not yet approved in any other indication	Not effective
Regorafenib[73]	Tyrosine kinase inhibitor	Anti-angiogenic factor	Gastrointestinal stromal tumors	Found effective when tested on xenograft model with GC
Pembrolizumab[100]	Monoclonal antibody	PD-1 inhibitor	Advanced melanoma, advanced lung cancer	Promising phase IB results.
				Phase III results are awaited
Apatinib[72]	Tyrosine kinase inhibitor	Multikinase inhibitor	Not yet approved in any other indication	Shown to be effective in a phase III Chinese study

VEGF: Vascular endothelial growth factor; PDGF: Platelet-drived growth factor; EGFR: Epidermal growth factor receptor; mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin; VEGFR: VEGF receptor; MET: Mesenchymal epithelial transition; PD-1: Programmed cell death protein-1.