A Trial of Cabozantinib (XL184) and Gemcitabine in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer

Preclinical work at the University of Michigan has demonstrated that inhibition of c-Met with cabozantinib prevented the development of metastatic disease in an intra-cardiac injection model in NOD/SCID mice. Additionally, the combination of cabozantinib and gemcitabine demonstrated improved tumor control compared to either agent alone in a relevant orthotopic implantation mouse model. Combining gemcitabine with the c-Met inhibitor cabozantinib in advanced pancreatic cancer is a novel strategy that takes advantage of an established cytotoxic agent with one that targets a pathway known to be important for the growth, dissemination, and resistance of this disease.