DDR2 Inhibitors
2 drugsAbout DDR2
Discoidin Domain Receptor 2 (DDR2) is a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in cell growth, differentiation, and matrix remodeling. Activated by collagen, it influences cellular processes within the extracellular matrix.
Human genetics provide strong validation for DDR2 as a drug target (max score 0.86), with variants linked to skeletal abnormalities. Loss-of-function variants are associated with spondyloepimetaphyseal dysplasia, suggesting activation may be beneficial.
Two FDA-approved small molecule drugs target DDR2: STIVARGA (Bayer) and VIZIMPRO (Pfizer). While one drug is used outside oncology, DDR2 is primarily targeted in oncology.
Strategic Insights
ℹ️ How we calculate- Validated target with strong trial activity and 80% attractiveness score.
- White space opportunity in Carcinoma, Hepatocellular with only 3 trials.
Human Genetic Evidence Strong
DDR2 has strong genetic support with a maximum score of 0.86 across 9 diseases.
Strong genetic support suggests DDR2-targeting therapies have a higher probability of clinical success.
💡 Why activation?
- • Loss-of-function variants increase disease risk (OR > 1) — restoring function may help
- • 100% directional consistency across 1 traits
- • Strong signal in genetic, familial or congenital disease, musculoskeletal or connective tissue disease, phenotype pathways
Cross-Disease Effects
Trade-off: LowDirection of Effect
100% alignedEvidence Across Diseases
9 totalGWAS and other genetic studies link DDR2 to 9 diseases.
Loss-of-function causes disease; activation may help
🔗 Colocalization Evidence 7 strong
max H4: 0.99eQTL/pQTL signals for DDR2 colocalize with these GWAS traits, providing causal evidence that gene expression changes drive disease risk.
Understanding these scores
Association Score (0-1): Combines all evidence types (genetic, literature, drugs, animal models). Higher = more evidence linking target to disease. This is a ranking heuristic, not a confidence score.
L2G Score: Open Targets uses a machine learning model (Locus-to-Gene) to predict which gene is causal at each GWAS locus. L2G=0.5 means ~50% probability of being the causal gene. Only associations with L2G > 0.05 are included.
Odds Ratio (OR): From gene burden studies (UK Biobank, AstraZeneca PheWAS). Measures how loss-of-function variants affect disease risk. OR<1 = protective (inhibiting target may help), OR>1 = risk (losing function causes disease).
Beta (β): Effect size for continuous traits. β<0 = protective, β>0 = risk.
Clinical Translation (~1.8x): Based on Nelson et al. 2015: drug targets with genetic evidence have ~2x higher success rates in clinical trials. We estimate: Strong support (score ≥0.7) → ~1.8x, Moderate (0.3-0.7) → ~1.3x, Weak → baseline.
Colocalization (H4): Tests whether a GWAS signal and an eQTL/pQTL signal share the same causal variant. H4 is the posterior probability that both traits are associated AND share a causal variant. H4 > 0.8 = strong evidence that gene expression/protein levels drive disease risk. This links genetic variation → gene expression → disease, supporting the target-disease connection.
Top Drugs
The competitive landscape includes Bayer and Pfizer, each with approved DDR2-targeting drugs.
The limited number of companies suggests relatively low barriers to entry in the DDR2-targeting market.
Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
DDR2 is amenable to small molecule drugs, with oral options available for convenient dosing.
The exclusive use of small molecules indicates a whitespace opportunity for alternative modalities like antibodies.
Clinical Trials 329 trials
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Failed | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | 90 | 63 | 11 | 15 | 85% |
| Phase 2 | 154 | 64 | 24 | 65 | 73% |
| Phase 3 | 73 | 52 | 8 | 13 | 87% |
| Phase 4 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 82% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Phase 3 Readout Calendar Pro
5 Phase 3 trials testing approved DDR2 drugs across all sponsors.
Coverage: trials whose intervention is an approved drug targeting DDR2. Pre-approval candidates with development codes (e.g. AZD0901, MK-7240) are not yet linked. Anchored on CT.gov primary completion date.
Drug Approval Timeline (2012 - 2018)
The first DDR2-targeting drug was approved in 2012, with the most recent in 2018.
The approval timeline indicates a relatively recent interest in DDR2, suggesting potential for further development.
Pro Intelligence Preview
Deep insights for drug target analysis
Competitive Landscape
- • 2 companies competing
- • Market share by company
Full Drug Portfolio
- • All 2 approved drugs
- • Approval dates & indications
Genetic Validation
- • Full genetic evidence table
- • Effect sizes & directions
Approval Timeline
- • Full 2-drug timeline
- • First-of-modality markers
Clinical Trials Analysis
- • Competition: High (15 sponsors)
- • White space: 10 underexplored indications
- • Success rates by condition
Full summary • All drugs • Genetic evidence • Trials • Timeline
How We Calculate These Metrics
Target Attractiveness Score
A 0-100 score based on trial activity, sponsor diversity, and completion rates. Calculated from 233 clinical trials targeting DDR2.
Completion rate: Percentage of trials that reached their planned endpoint. Trials terminated early, withdrawn, or suspended are not counted—these often indicate safety issues, lack of efficacy, or strategic pivots.
- Highly Attractive (80+): High trial activity, many sponsors, strong completion rates
- Attractive (60-79): Good trial activity and validation
- Moderate (40-59): Moderate interest from sponsors
- Low (under 40): Limited trial activity or validation concerns
Strategic Insights
Auto-generated insights based on trial analytics including competition intensity, white space opportunities, modality shifts, and failure patterns. We analyze trial sponsors, phases, indications, and outcomes.
Risk Signals
- High Competition: Many sponsors competing for this target (may reduce market opportunity)
- High Failure Risk: Low trial completion rates suggest development challenges
- Low Validation: Limited trial activity or poor outcomes indicate uncertain viability
- White Space Available: Underexplored indications present opportunities