Brief Report

Abstract

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS). We administered PTC299, a post-transcriptional inhibitor of pathogenic VEGF, to persons with HIV-related KS. Seventeen participants received three different doses of PTC299. Adverse events typically observed with VEGF-inhibition were absent. Three participants had partial tumor responses and 11 had stable disease. There were no differences in exposure to PTC299 by antiretroviral regimen. Serum VEGF, but not KSHV DNA, decreased on treatment. Given redundancies in the VEGF feedback loop, future trials should consider combining PTC299 with agents that inhibit different pathways implicated in KS and KSHV proliferation.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Kaposi Sarcoma

“…Thus far, however, clinical trials of single agent trials of VEGF neutralizing antibodies or VEGF-receptor inhibitors (bevacizumab, imatinib) have been ambiguous [112–115]. Anti-VEGF therapy worked in some patients, but not others.…”