SU11248 and AG013736: current data and future trials in renal cell carcinoma.

Several molecular pathways are implicated in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) pathogenesis, including the von Hippel-Lindau gene inactivation leading to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) expression. SU11248 and AG013736 are small-molecule inhibitors of the tyrosine kinase portion of the VEGF and PDGF receptors. Substantial clinical activity has been reported for these agents in metastatic RCC trials, leading to additional investigations in a variety of settings.