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Anti-VEGF agents in brain tumor therapy: analysis of current clinical trials

Ilgiz Gareev1,2, Hongli Zhang3, Elena Zharova4, Elmar Musaev5, Ozal Beylerli1*
  1. Educational and Scientific Institute of Neurosurgery, Рeoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), 6 Miklukho-Maklay Str., 117198, Moscow, Russia
  2. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ministry of Healthcare of Russian Federation, 1 Ostrovityanov Str., 117997, Moscow, Russia
  3. Department of Neurosurgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, 150001, Harbin, P.R. China
  4. Moscow Hertsen Research Institute of Oncology, Branch of the National Medical Radiology Research Center, Ministry of Health of Russian Federation, 125284, Moscow, Russia
  5. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 2 Bol'shaya Pirogovskaya Str., 119435, Moscow, Russia

*For correspondence: obeylerli@mail.ru

Ilgiz Gareev: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4965-0835 Hongli Zhang: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4036-519X Elena Zharova: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6466-5348 Elmar Musaev: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1241-3019 Ozal Beylerli: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6149-5460

Abstract

Brain tumor therapy with anti-vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) agents/drugs is a therapeutic approach aimed at inhibiting the growth of new blood vessels that feed the tumor. This method, often referred to as targeted therapy, uses drugs that block the action of VEGF, which slows tumor growth and neovascularization. This study analyzes existing clinical trials registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov website on the therapeutic use of anti-VEGF agents in the treatment of brain tumors. As of December 2025, approximately 65 registered clinical trials on the use of anti-VEGF agents in the treatment of brain tumors, including gliomas, meningiomas, schwannomas, medulloblastomas (adult and pediatric), ependymomas, and metastatic brain tumors, were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov. Furthermore, recurrent tumors were also studied. However, full results have been published for only 16 clinical trials demonstrating the safety and efficacy of anti-VEGF agents. The results of these clinical trials open new horizons for the latest methods of targeted therapy for brain tumors.

Availability of Data and Materials

No datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

Acknowledgements

Not applicable.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, writing - original draft, and writing - review & editing, I.G.; Data curation, formal analysis, investigation, and methodology, H.Z. and E.Z.; Software, validation and visualization, I.G. and O.B.; Project administration, conceptualization and supervision, O.B. and E.M. All authors agreed on the journal to which the article would be submitted, gave final approval for the version to be published, and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Ethical Considerations

This study is based exclusively on the analysis of publicly available data from clinical trials registered on the ClinicalTrials.gov database. No new clinical interventions were performed, and no individual patient data were collected or analyzed. Therefore, ethical approval and informed consent were not required for this study. The analysis was conducted in accordance with internationally accepted principles of research integrity, transparency, and responsible use of publicly accessible scientific data.

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, related to this study. The authors have no affiliations or involvement with any organization or entity with a financial or non-financial interest in the subject matter discussed in this manuscript.

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PDF (English)

Received: November 05, 2025; Received in revised form: December 13, 2025; Accepted: December 18, 2025

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62088/timbb/9.2.2

Keywords:

Brain tumors, vascular endothelial cell growth factor, clinical trials, targeted therapy, personalized medicine, complications

How to cite

Gareev, I., Zhang, H., Zharova, E., Musaev, E., Beylerli, O.. (2025). ANTI-VEGF AGENTS IN BRAIN TUMOR THERAPY: ANALYSIS OF CURRENT CLINICAL TRIALS. TIMBB, 9 (2), 13-20.

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