Roche’s Avastin receives EU approval for ovarian cancer indication

Roche has announced that its blockbuster drug Avastin has been approved in a new ovarian cancer indication.

The European Commission has ratified the drug's use 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.

It represents the first new treatment option to be made available for this, the most difficult-to-treat form of ovarian cancer, in more than 15 years.

Data from the phase III Aurelia study showed that the addition of Avastin to chemotherapy offered a clinically meaningful benefit, nearly doubling the median progression-free survival rate.

Dr Sandra Horning, Roche's chief medical officer and head of global product development, said: "European approval of Avastin for recurrent, platinum-resistant ovarian cancer is good news, because Avastin can help women live longer without their cancer progressing, which is an important treatment goal in advanced disease."

This comes after the firm recently received European approval for Gazyvaro, its therapy for the most common form of leukaemia.