Properties of FDA-approved small molecule protein kinase inhibitors: A 2026 update

Because of the dysregulation of protein kinase activity in many neoplastic and inflammatory diseases, protein kinases are among the most significant drug targets in the 21st century. Of the 94 FDA-approved protein kinase inhibitors, ten were approved in 2025. Of these drugs, six target dual specificity protein kinases (MEK1/2), fourteen inhibit protein-serine/threonine kinases, twenty-six block nonreceptor protein-tyrosine kinases, and 48 target receptor protein-tyrosine kinases. Most of these drugs (≈ 80) are prescribed for the management of neoplasms and others are used for the treatment of inflammatory and miscellaneous diseases. Of the 94 FDA-approved agents, about two dozen are used in the treatment of…