Sanofi’s Zaltrap approved to treat metastatic colorectal cancer

Sanofi has announced its Zaltrap (aflibercept) concentrate has been approved for the treatment of patients with previously medicated metastatic colorectal cancer in the European Union.

The pharmaceuticals company confirmed will be utilised for infusion in combination with chemotherapy in adults suffering from the illness that is resistant to or has progressed after an oxaliplatin-containing regimen.

Findings from a phase III trial into the safety and efficacy of the medication were the basis of the decision of the European Commission to approve the use of the compound in patients with colorectal cancer.

The illness is the most common cancer in both men and women in Europe and is the second leading cause of cancer death, with 436,000 cases diagnosed in 2008 alone.

Eric Van Cutsem from the University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium, and lead investigator of the Velour clinical trial, said: "Zaltrap is an important addition to the metastatic colorectal cancer treatment landscape and helps to fill a critical treatment gap."