title: Clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ramucirumab in the treatment of colorectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. The prognosis of colorectal cancer patients still remains dismal and half of them will develop metastatic disease. Angiogenesis plays an essential role in colorectal tumorigenesis, and the VEGF pathway is one of the targets that has been validated up to now. The use of antiangiogenics along with chemotherapy has become an accepted standard for colorectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review discusses the efficacy and safety profile of ramucirumab, a fully human immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody against the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), for the treatment of second-line metastatic colorectal cancer upon progression to first-line chemotherapy including anti-angiogenics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ramucirumab in combination with chemotherapy represents a valid option in second-line treatment of advanced colorectal cancer patients, who progressed on previous bevacizumab-based combinations. This agent demonstrates a similar benefit in terms of overall survival to other angiogenesis inhibitors (bevacizumab and ziv-aflibercept) used in this setting.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Oncology , Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia , Valencia , Spain.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gambardella
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Oncology , Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia , Valencia , Spain.
authors.forename: Noelia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tarazona
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Oncology , Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia , Valencia , Spain.
authors.forename: Juan Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cejalvo
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Oncology , Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia , Valencia , Spain.
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roselló
authors.affiliation: a Department of Medical Oncology , Biomedical Research Institute INCLIVA, University of Valencia , Valencia , Spain.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cervantes
mesh_terms: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D017321:Clinical Trials, Phase I as Topic; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D017326:Clinical Trials, Phase III as Topic; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D000096662:Ramucirumab
chemical_list: D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000096662:Ramucirumab
keywords: Angiogenesis; VEGFR-2; colorectal cancer; ramucirumab