This tool is for research exploration only. It is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice. Drug candidates, evidence scores, and AI-generated content are not clinical recommendations. Always consult your medical team before making any treatment decisions.

Back to Drug Candidates

Bevacizumab

Avastin

Anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody

Evidence Score

67

established
Mechanism of Action

Humanized monoclonal antibody that binds all VEGF-A isoforms with high affinity, blocking VEGFR1/2 engagement and tumor angiogenesis. SDH deficiency provides a direct mechanistic rationale for VEGF blockade: impaired succinate oxidation causes intracellular succinate accumulation, which competitively inhibits PHD prolyl hydroxylases (α-KG-dependent dioxygenases), preventing VHL-mediated HIF-1α/2α ubiquitination and constitutively activating transcription of VEGF-A, PDGFB, and downstream angiogenic targets independent of oxygen tension. This pseudohypoxic VEGF overexpression is the same upstream lesion targeted by sunitinib (Phase 2 RCT FIRSTMAPPP, NCT01371201) and by belzutifan at the HIF-2α level (LITESPARK-015, NCT04924075). Bevacizumab has been combined with temozolomide in metastatic PPGL based on complementary mechanisms — temozolomide exploiting CIMP-driven MGMT silencing, bevacizumab neutralising HIF-driven tumor vasculature — in clinical practice prior to the availability of approved options.

Pathway Connections
Pseudohypoxia / HIF Pathway

Succinate accumulation inhibits PHD enzymes, stabilizing HIF-1α and HIF-2α regardless of oxygen levels. This drives angiogenesis (VEGF), metabolic reprogramming (glycolysis shift), and growth factor signaling.

Upstream event:

Succinate inhibits PHD1/2/3 (α-KG-dependent dioxygenases)

Downstream effects:

HIF-1α/2α stabilizationVEGF upregulationGLUT1/3 upregulationGlycolytic enzyme inductionEPO production
VEGF Signaling

Downstream of HIF activation, VEGF/VEGFR2 signaling drives tumor angiogenesis — the formation of new blood vessels that supply the tumor with oxygen and nutrients.

Upstream event:

HIF-mediated VEGFA transcriptional activation

Downstream effects:

Tumor angiogenesisVascular permeabilityEndothelial cell proliferationTumor blood supply
Molecular Targets

VEGFA

Vascular endothelial growth factor A

downstream

Key HIF target gene driving tumor angiogenesis. Target of bevacizumab.

UniProt: P15692

Quick Facts

Tumor Type Applicability

PPGL/PCC
FDA Approved

Approved Indications

  • Metastatic colorectal cancer
  • Non-small cell lung cancer
  • Glioblastoma
  • Renal cell carcinoma
ChEMBL IDCHEMBL1201583
Evidence

Evidence from PubMed, OpenTargets, and ChEMBL will appear here once external data integration is enabled.

Coming in Phase 3

For research exploration only — not medical advice. Consult your doctor before acting on any information.

AI Analysis

Have Claude analyze this drug's repurposing potential for SDH-deficient diseases.