Drug Detail

Information about Nexavar + Avastin

Generic Name	Sorafenib + Bevacizumab
IND	BAY 43-9006 + Bevacizumab
Brand Name (US)	Nexavar + Avastin
Manufacturer	Bayer and Genentech
Drug Type	Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor and Monoclonal antibody
Delivery	Oral + intravenous
Approval Status	Both are approved for non-GIST applications. This combination is not approved for GIST. It has been evaluated in multiple phase 1 trials.
Indications
Overall Strategy	GIST cell based
Strategy	Block KIT + Block blood vessel growth
Drug Category	KIT/PDGFRA inhibitor+ VEGF inhibitor (antibody)

Sorafenib is a potent KIT inhibitor and is in phase II (as of September 2008) for GIST. It has activity against some of the secondary mutations that cause resistance to Gleevec.
Avastin is an approved monoclonal antibody that targets the VEGF pathway. It has been shown to extend survival in colon cancer.
It is hoped that the combination will provide more a more potent antiangiogenic effect than either drug alone. In addition, the sorafenib provides a potent direct antitumor effect against GIST tumors through it's inhibition of KIT.