Nexavar (sorafenib, manufactured by Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation and Onyx Pharmaceuticals) has been approved by the US FDA to treat patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma. Nexavar is currently already approved for treating advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a kidney cancer. Approval was based on results from an international clinical trial containing 600 patients where patients received either Nexavar or placebo. Nexavar treatment prolonged patient survival to 10.7 months versus placebo of 7.9 months and also delayed tumor progression. Nexavar is a small molecule kinase inhibitor drug. Common side effects included fatigue, weight loss, rash or superficial skin shedding, hand or foot skin reaction, hair loss, diarrhea, anorexia, nausea, abdominal pain, elevated serum lipase, and hypophosphatemia. Rare side effects included inadequate blood supply to the heart or heart attack, and incidence of new high blood pressure. Source: US FDA.