Cilengitide

Cilengitide is a molecule designed and synthesized at the Technical University Munich in collaboration with Merck KGaA in Darmstadt. Cilengitide binds to the activities of the αvβ3 and αvβ5 integrins, thereby inhibiting endothelial cell-cell interactions, endothelial cell-matrix interactions, and angiogenesis. Cilengitide (EMD 121974) could increase systemic RIT efficacy of therapy in a human breast cancer tumor model having mutant p53 and expressing bcl-2. Cilengitide is currently in clinical phase III for treatment of glioblastomas and in phase II for several other tumors.