Clinical Progress of Fruquintinib in Colorectal Cancer: An Overview

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, with high morbidity and mortality rates. Conventional treatments, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, have limited effects on advanced and metastatic CRC (mCRC). Fruquintinib, a novel and highly selective vascul...

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Main Authors: Yejie Xie, Shu Tang, Ziheng Qin, Chaogang Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Pharmaceuticals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/2/280
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author Yejie Xie
Shu Tang
Ziheng Qin
Chaogang Yang
author_facet Yejie Xie
Shu Tang
Ziheng Qin
Chaogang Yang
author_sort Yejie Xie
collection DOAJ
description Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, with high morbidity and mortality rates. Conventional treatments, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, have limited effects on advanced and metastatic CRC (mCRC). Fruquintinib, a novel and highly selective vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor, has shown significant efficacy and tolerance in treating mCRC. The FRESCO and FRESCO-2 trials demonstrated that fruquintinib significantly prolongs progression-free survival and the overall survival of refractory mCRC patients, establishing it as the standard third-line treatment strategy for mCRC. In addition, the combination of fruquintinib with other anticancer drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors demonstrated potential for enhanced efficacy, which warrants further exploration. In this review, we aimed to systematically summarize the current knowledge about the pharmacological mechanisms, pharmacokinetic characteristics, adverse events, and corresponding treatment options of fruquintinib and provide an update on the clinical trials related to fruquintinib in CRC by conducting a comprehensive literature search of PubMed and consulting the relevant clinical trials via ClinicalTrials.gov and the ChiCTR website, aiming to offer new insights into the role of fruquintinib in the comprehensive treatment of CRC.
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spelling doaj-art-44f2a3b6f3344857bbeb8405635c35ff2025-08-20T02:44:35ZengMDPI AGPharmaceuticals1424-82472025-02-0118228010.3390/ph18020280Clinical Progress of Fruquintinib in Colorectal Cancer: An OverviewYejie Xie0Shu Tang1Ziheng Qin2Chaogang Yang3The Second Clinical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, ChinaDepartment of Anesthesia and Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, ChinaThe Second Clinical School of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, ChinaDepartment of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumour Biological Behaviours, Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Centre, The Clinical Medical Research Centre of Peritoneal Cancer of Wuhan, Wuhan 430071, ChinaColorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, with high morbidity and mortality rates. Conventional treatments, including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, have limited effects on advanced and metastatic CRC (mCRC). Fruquintinib, a novel and highly selective vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor, has shown significant efficacy and tolerance in treating mCRC. The FRESCO and FRESCO-2 trials demonstrated that fruquintinib significantly prolongs progression-free survival and the overall survival of refractory mCRC patients, establishing it as the standard third-line treatment strategy for mCRC. In addition, the combination of fruquintinib with other anticancer drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors demonstrated potential for enhanced efficacy, which warrants further exploration. In this review, we aimed to systematically summarize the current knowledge about the pharmacological mechanisms, pharmacokinetic characteristics, adverse events, and corresponding treatment options of fruquintinib and provide an update on the clinical trials related to fruquintinib in CRC by conducting a comprehensive literature search of PubMed and consulting the relevant clinical trials via ClinicalTrials.gov and the ChiCTR website, aiming to offer new insights into the role of fruquintinib in the comprehensive treatment of CRC.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/2/280fruquintinibcolorectal cancerVEGFRclinical trialadverse event
spellingShingle Yejie Xie
Shu Tang
Ziheng Qin
Chaogang Yang
Clinical Progress of Fruquintinib in Colorectal Cancer: An Overview
Pharmaceuticals
fruquintinib
colorectal cancer
VEGFR
clinical trial
adverse event
title Clinical Progress of Fruquintinib in Colorectal Cancer: An Overview
title_full Clinical Progress of Fruquintinib in Colorectal Cancer: An Overview
title_fullStr Clinical Progress of Fruquintinib in Colorectal Cancer: An Overview
title_full_unstemmed Clinical Progress of Fruquintinib in Colorectal Cancer: An Overview
title_short Clinical Progress of Fruquintinib in Colorectal Cancer: An Overview
title_sort clinical progress of fruquintinib in colorectal cancer an overview
topic fruquintinib
colorectal cancer
VEGFR
clinical trial
adverse event
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8247/18/2/280
work_keys_str_mv AT yejiexie clinicalprogressoffruquintinibincolorectalcanceranoverview
AT shutang clinicalprogressoffruquintinibincolorectalcanceranoverview
AT zihengqin clinicalprogressoffruquintinibincolorectalcanceranoverview
AT chaogangyang clinicalprogressoffruquintinibincolorectalcanceranoverview