Definition

An orally bioavailable small molecule, belonging to the class of c-Met/hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors, with potential antineoplastic activity. MET receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor SGX523 specifically binds to c-Met protein, or hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR), preventing binding of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and disrupting the MET signaling pathway; this agent may induce cell death in tumor cells expressing c-Met. c-Met, a receptor tyrosine kinase overexpressed or mutated in many tumor cell types, plays an important role in tumor cell proliferation, survival, invasion, and metastasis, and in tumor angiogenesis.