OncoSignal
Live from Open Targets Platform, fetched 2026-11-12 03:55 UTC. Every row links to its source record.

PLAU plasminogen activator, urokinase

ENSG00000122861 · protein coding · Open Targets profile

Serine protease that cleaves the inactive precursor plasminogen at a specific Arg-Val peptide bond, converting it into active plasmin (PubMed:1969415, PubMed:2521625, PubMed:4270330). Secreted as an inactive zymogen, it is recruited and activated at the cell surface through interaction with the urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR). Cell-surface activation enables localized, plasmin-dependent pericellular proteolysis, regulating extracellular matrix degradation in cell migration and tissue remodeling (PubMed:1829461, PubMed:2521625, PubMed:28849762). Also contributes to fibrinolysis and blood clot clearance by promoting plasmin generation (By similarity). {ECO:0000250|UniProtKB:P06869, ECO:0000269|PubMed:1829461, ECO:0000269|PubMed:1969415, ECO:0000269|PubMed:2521625, ECO:0000269|PubMed:28849762, ECO:0000269|PubMed:4270330}.

In 1 of 15 cancers, the evidence for PLAU comes mainly from inherited variants

Each row is a cancer, strongest overall evidence first. The two dots show how strong the inherited (germline) and tumour-mutation (somatic) evidence is; the line between them is the gap.

Inherited (germline) variantsMutations in tumours (somatic)
00.250.50.751actinic keratosisactinic keratosisactinic keratosis: germline 0.57breast carcinomabreast carcinomabreast cancerbreast cancerhead and neck squamous cell carcinomahead and neck squamous cell carcinomaesophageal squamous cell carcinomaesophageal squamous cell carcinomapancreatic ductal adenocarcinomapancreatic ductal adenocarcinomahepatocellular carcinomahepatocellular carcinomaosteosarcomaosteosarcomacervical carcinomacervical carcinomacervical cancercervical cancergastric cancergastric cancernon-small cell lung carcinomanon-small cell lung carcinomapancreatic neoplasmpancreatic neoplasmfamilial pancreatic carcinomafamilial pancreatic carcinomaprostate carcinomaprostate carcinoma

Scores run from 0 (no evidence) to 1 (strongest). A missing dot at 0 means Open Targets holds no evidence of that kind. Source: Open Targets Platform, fetched live.

Tractability

Small molecule
Structure with Ligand, High-Quality Ligand, High-Quality Pocket, Druggable Family
Antibody
UniProt loc high conf, GO CC high conf, UniProt SigP or TMHMM
PROTAC
Database Ubiquitination, Small Molecule Binder
Other modalities
Approved Drug

gnomAD loss of function constraint: o/e 0.6544100046157837 (upper bound 0.879010021686554). Low values mean loss of function is poorly tolerated, a safety flag for inhibition.

Who runs trials of these drugs

Principal investigators and study chairs on 24 registry trials, updated in the last three years, of the most advanced drugs against PLAU (urokinase), ranked by Phase 2+ trials. Live from ClinicalTrials.gov.

17 of 22 trials of drugs against PLAU have sites only in China

Registry trials of urokinase updated in the last three years, counted by the country group of their listed sites. A trial with sites in several groups counts in each; 21 of 22 have all sites in one country.

Sites only in this groupSites here and elsewhere
United StatesUnited States: 1 trials with sites only hereUnited States: 1 trials with sites here and elsewhere2ChinaChina: 17 trials with sites only hereChina: 0 trials with sites here and elsewhere17EuropeEurope: 1 trials with sites only hereEurope: 1 trials with sites here and elsewhere2OtherOther: 2 trials with sites only hereOther: 0 trials with sites here and elsewhere2

Site counts are not patients per country, and trials registered only outside ClinicalTrials.gov are not covered. Where sites are is a fact about the record, not a judgement of its quality. Europe is the EU and EEA, the UK and Switzerland. 2 trials list no sites and are left out. Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, fetched live.

7 trials of drugs against PLAU were stopped early; 2 give no reason

Terminated, withdrawn and suspended interventional trials of urokinase, newest update first, live from ClinicalTrials.gov. Each reason is quoted exactly as the registry gives it; we do not sort reasons into safety, efficacy or business. Dates are the last registry update. Showing the 7 most recent of 7.

  • withdrawn · 2026-04-29 · Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    “Change for a phase II design”
  • terminated · 2024-09-04 · Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    “Protocol closed to accrual early due to PI retirement.”
  • terminated · 2021-01-19 · TSI, LLC · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    No reason given
  • terminated · 2017-02-14 · Jan Stam, MD, PhD · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    No reason given
  • terminated · 2015-03-13 · medac GmbH · Urokinase
    “Insufficient recruitment of study patients”
  • terminated · 2014-04-07 · GWT-TUD GmbH · urokinase
    “recruition number was not reached”
  • terminated · 2009-08-04 · Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center · matched by the registry's drug synonyms
    “The FDA changed the labeling for this agent, and we felt we could not offer it to patients on a non-surgical study.”
Paediatric incentives and obligations for PLAU's drugs

For urokinase: what EMA and FDA publish about paediatric plans, orphan status and pediatric approvals, and how many registered studies take children. Each line is a yes, no or not published fact from the record linked under it; none of it is a forecast.

Rare pediatric disease voucher. FDA, content current as of 29 Apr 2026: “As of February 3, 2026, enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, the rare pediatric disease PRV program will sunset after September 30, 2029. FDA may not award any PRVs under this program after September 30, 2029.” Voucher sale prices are not shown here; they appear only as company-reported news. FDA: Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Priority Review Voucher Programs

All 1 drugs and clinical candidates as a table

Each drug, stage and indication links to its Open Targets record, where the trials and approvals behind it are listed. Salt forms (for example a mesylate) are listed as Open Targets records them, as separate entries.

DrugTypeHighest stageIndicationsSource records
UROKINASEEnzymephase 4myocardial infarction, Recurrent thrombophlebitis, diabetic foot, empyema, ischemic stroke, stroke disorder, congestive heart failure, pulmonary embolism, +3 moreOpen Targets · ChEMBL