Sanofi-aventis’ prostate cancer drug recommended for EU approval

Sanofi-aventis' Jevtana has been recommended for European approval as a combination prostate cancer treatment, based on positive clinical data.

The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use has backed the firm's application for approval of the drug after it demonstrated survival benefits in the phase III Tropic trial.

Jevtana has already been approved in the US and Brazil and is intended for use alongside prednisone or prednisolone among metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients who have previously been treated with docetaxel.

Dr Debasish Roychowdhury, senior vice-president and head of global oncology at Sanofi-aventis, said the drug has met with a higher-than-expected level of success in the US.

"The positive opinion for Jevtana in the EU now strengthens Sanofi-aventis Oncology's goal of providing substantially beneficial cancer medicines to patients around the world," added Dr Roychowdhury.

Earlier this month, Sanofi-aventis announced a new partnership with the University of California, San Francisco, that will in part aim to accelerate research into new cancer therapies.