Background: While sorafenib is established as the standard first-line treatment for patients with advanced HCC, its use can be complicated by the occurrence of drug-related adverse events (AEs). Nintedanib, a potent, oral triple angiokinase inhibitor that targets VEGF, PDGF and FGF signaling (as well as Flt3 and RET), has demonstrated clinical activity in various advanced solid tumors with a relatively low incidence of AEs typically associated with angiogenesis inhibitors (e.g. skin toxicity, hypertension, hemorrhage, and hematologic toxicity) and is currently in phase III for non-small cell lung cancer and ovarian cancer. In the Phase I, dose-finding stage of this ongoing, multicenter, open-label Phase I/II trial (NCT01004003), 200mg twice daily (bid) was established as the maximum tolerated dose of nintedanib in previously untreated patients with advanced HCC (Palmer D, et al. Ann Oncol 2012;23(Suppl 9):ix245[Abs 740P]). Nintedanib had an acceptable liver AE profile; the most common AEs were mild/moderate gastrointestinal toxicities. Methods: The randomized Phase II stage of the trial aims to assess the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of nintedanib in comparison with sorafenib. Eligible patients have pathologically confirmed, measurable HCC that is not amenable to local therapy, ECOG Performance Status of ≤2, Child-Pugh score of 5–6 (Class A), AST/ALT levels ≤2× upper limit of normal, and no prior systemic therapy. Patients are being stratified by macrovascular invasion and/or extrahepatic spread and then randomized 2:1 to receive nintedanib 200mg bid or sorafenib 400mg bid in continuous 28-day cycles until progression or unacceptable toxicity. Overall, 93 patients were randomized between Sept 2011 and Nov 2012. The primary endpoint is time to progression (TTP) by independent review, according to RECIST 1.0. TTP will be estimated in the treated set by Kaplan–Meier methodology with treatment effects compared using a Cox proportional hazards model. Secondary endpoints include overall survival, tumor response, progression-free survival, safety and pharmacokinetics. Results are due late 2013. Clinical trial information: NCT01004003.