A Review of Hedgehog Inhibitors Sonidegib and Vismodegib for Treatment of Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma

Michael Migden, Aaron S. Farberg, Reinhard Dummer, Nicholas Squittieri, C. William Hanke

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignancy in fair-skinned populations. Most cases are successfully treated with surgery, but in advanced BCC—including locally advanced BCC and metastatic BCC—surgery is likely to result in substantial morbidity or unlikely to be effective. In those patients, the systemic Hedgehog inhibitors (HHIs) sonidegib and vismodegib are the only approved pharmacologic treatment option. Although a number of clinical studies highlight the similarities and differences between the two HHIs, no head-to-head clinical comparison is available. Results from the pivotal BOLT and ERIVANCE clinical studies for sonidegib and vismodegib, respectively, demonstrate similar efficacy measured by objective response rate, complete response rate, and histologic tumor subtype. Safety results for both studies are comparable with similar common adverse events reported for muscle spasms, alopecia, and dysgeusia. A notable difference between sonidegib and vismodegib is their respective pharmacokinetic profiles with sonidegib reaching peak concentration in plasma within 2–4 hours of dosing and steady state in plasma achieved by week 17 of treatment, while vismodegib reaches peak plasma concentration approximately 2 days after a single dose and steady state within 21 days of repeated dosing. This review compares efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of sonidegib and vismodegib based on published literature to date.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)156-165
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Drugs in Dermatology
Volume20
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2021
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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