FDA OKs Roche’s Avastin for Late-Stage Cervical Cancer
Roche reports that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Avastin (bevacizumab) in combination with paclitaxel and cisplatin or paclitaxel and topotecan for the treatment of women with persistent, recurrent or metastatic carcinoma of the cervix.
Avastin is one of Roche’s top-selling products. In 2013, it posted global sales of CHF 6.524 billion ($7.22 billion). Avastin is approved in Europe for the treatment of advanced stages of breast cancer, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, kidney cancer and ovarian cancer, and is available in the US for the treatment of colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and kidney cancer. In addition, Avastin is approved in the US and over 60 other countries worldwide for the treatment of patients with progressive glioblastoma following prior therapy
Avastin is the first drug approved in the US for patients with late-stage cervical cancer since the 2006 approval of topotecan with cisplatin, noted the FDA in a press statement announcing the approval. t is also the first biologic agent approved for patients with late-stage cervical cancer
Earlier this month, the the European Commission approved the use of Avastin in combination with paclitaxel, topotecan, or pegylated liposomal doxorubicin chemotherapy as a treatment for women with recurrent ovarian cancer that is resistant to platinum-containing chemotherapy.
