Bayer HealthCare receives CHMP backing for colorectal cancer drug

Bayer HealthCare has announced that the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended its oncology agent regorafenib for approval.

The new therapy is designed for adult patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who have been previously treated with or are not considered candidates for available therapies, with data from the phase III Correct trial having demonstrated the drug's efficacy.

Regorafenib has already been approved under the brand name Stivarga in several countries, including the US and Japan, and could represent a beneficial and advantageous new option for a difficult-to-treat condition.

Dr Kemal Malik, member of the Bayer HealthCare executive committee and head of global development, said: "The recommendation by the CHMP for regorafenib is an important milestone for Bayer and brings us one step closer to providing an innovative new treatment option for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer."

Last month, the firm announced an alliance with Seattle Genetics that will focus on the development of new cancer therapies.