TARGETED THERAPIES Tivantinib-a cytotoxic drug in MET inhibitor's clothes?

Tivantinib is being tested in a variety of phase II and phase III clinical trials as a highly selective, non ATP-competitive MET tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Its mechanism of action has been under scrutiny by two independent studies, which reveal that tivantinib is a cytotoxic drug acting on microtubule dynamics independently of MET. This finding has important implications for the interpretation of clinical results, for the design of new trials and for the selection of patients receiving tivantinib treatment.