Vismodegib is an anticancer drug used mainly for the treatment of advanced or metastatic basal cell carcinoma. It works by inhibiting the Hedgehog signaling pathway, which plays a major role in the growth and spread of certain cancers. The drug was developed through research on molecular pathways involved in tumor formation and was discovered by Genentech in collaboration with Curis. In 2012, vismodegib became the first Hedgehog pathway inhibitor approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for clinical use, marking an important advancement in targeted cancer therapy.
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