SMO and skin basal cell carcinoma: In 2012, the Phase 2 ERIVANCE BCC trial investigated the efficacy and safety of vismodegib, the first-in-class molecule for targeted therapy for aBCCs that are not suitable for surgery and/or radiotherapy.3 Vismodegib inhibits the oncogenic protein smoothened (SMO), a downstream signal of the hedgehog pathway that plays an important role in the pathogenesis of BCC.