The present invention is directed to novel chimeric VEGF receptor proteins
comprising amino acid sequences derived from the vascular endothelial
growth factor (VEGF) receptors flt-1 and KDR, including the murine
homologue to the human KDR receptor FLK-1, wherein said chimeric VEGF
receptor proteins bind to VEGF and antagonize the endothelial cell
proliferative and angiogenic activity thereof. The present invention is
also directed to nucleic acids and expression vectors encoding these
chimeric VEGF receptor proteins, host cells harboring such expression
vectors, pharmaceutically acceptable compositions comprising such
proteins, methods of preparing such proteins and to methods utilizing
such proteins for the treatment of conditions associated with undesired
vascularization.