Roche reports EU approval for advanced lung cancer treatment

Roche has announced that its novel anti-cancer medication Avastin (bevacizumab) has received approval in Europe as first-line treatment in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

In clinical trials, the compound has been shown to extend survival in previously untreated lung cancer patients beyond one year.

Avastin is an anti-angiogenic compound – a class of drug that inhibits the network of blood vessels that supply oxygen and nutrients to cancerous tissue through the targeting of vascular endothelial growth factor.

The drug is the first such treatment that has exhibited overall or progression-free survival in patients with breast, colorectal, kidney and lung cancer.

William M Burns, chief executive officer of the pharmaceuticals division of Roche, said: “Today’s approval represents a massive breakthrough for the treatment of individuals with advanced lung cancer.

“We will continue to work with European authorities to make Avastin available to as many patients with NSCLC as possible.”

Professor Christian Manegold from Heidelberg University added that the success of Avastin in breaking through the one-year survival barrier marks significant progress in the treatment of lung cancer, with this approval resulting in a reassessment of lung cancer patient survival expectations.

In February 2007, Roche announced the results of a phase III clinical trial of Avastin in patients with untreated advanced NSCLC, with the trial having a positive result in improved progression-free survival.