HONG KONG – Hutchison China Meditech Ltd. (Chi-Med) said the phase III trial of its oral vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor fruquintinib has begun. Named FRUTIGA, the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study is to test fruquintinib's efficacy and safety in combination with chemotherapy paclitaxel for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer, or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma, in China.