Molecular Targeted Agents for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Locoregional therapy is the primary treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sorafenib was approved as a first-line systemic therapy for advanced HCC with associated extrahepatic spread and/or vascular invasion in 2007. However, there are several limitations associated with sorafenib therapy. To overcome these problems, various clinical trials have been conducted to develop additional molecular targeted agents for HCC. However, all of the clinical trials conducted thus far, except for a recent trial using regorafenib, have been unsuccessful, emphasizing the difficulties associated with drug development for HCC. In this editorial, we review the current status and future prospects of molecular targeted agents that are being developed for HCC.