Apatinib for the treatment of gastric cancer

Introduction: Apatinib, a small-molecule inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, has demonstrated encouraging anti-cancer activity in gastric cancer within both in vitro and in vivo models.Areas covered: Apatinib's efficacy, tolerability and safety have been evaluated in one Phase II and one Phase III study in metastatic/advanced gastric cancer. In this review, we focus on the mechanism of action of apatinib, its pharmacokinetic profile and its clinical activity in the treatment of advanced/metastatic gastric cancer.Expert commentary: Unfortunately, as yet, there is no definitive biomarker data for apatinib in gastric cancer.