tivantinib + irinotecan

Tivantinib + irinotecan is a combination therapy investigated primarily in combination with cetuximab for the treatment of **metastatic colorectal cancer** (mCRC) in patients with KRAS wild-type tumors[1][3][2][5]. Tivantinib is a **selective, oral MET inhibitor** that targets the mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) receptor tyrosine kinase, a pathway implicated in resistance to anti-EGFR therapy. Irinotecan is a topoisomerase I inhibitor with established cytotoxic activity in colorectal cancer. The combination aims to leverage tivantinib's ability to block MET-mediated resistance while irinotecan exerts cytotoxic effects. Tivantinib is developed by ArQule and Daiichi Sankyo. The combination shows a trend toward improved progression-free survival and objective response rate compared with standard regimens containing irinotecan, cetuximab, and placebo, but has **not demonstrated statistically significant benefit in randomized trials** for the overall mCRC population. The combination is well-tolerated with expected side effects, the most common being neutropenia, diarrhea, nausea, and rash[1][3][5].