Vismodegib, sold under the brand name Erivedge, is a medication used for the treatment of basal-cell carcinoma (BCC).
[3] The approval of vismodegib on January 30, 2012, represents the first Hedgehog signaling pathway targeting agent to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.
[4][6] The substance acts as a cyclopamine-competitive antagonist of the smoothened receptor (SMO) which is part of the Hedgehog signaling pathway.
[5] SMO inhibition causes the transcription factors GLI1 and GLI2 to remain inactive, which prevents the expression of tumor mediating genes within the hedgehog pathway.
[8] In clinical trials, common side effects included gastrointestinal disorders (nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation), muscle spasms, fatigue, hair loss, and dysgeusia (distortion of the sense of taste).