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news.Genentech's cancer drug Avastin can slow the growth of a form of brain tumor when combined with Pfizer's Camptosar, according to researchers at Duke University.
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The drug, which is currently approved to treat lung and colorectal cancers, may also help stop the growth of tumors called gliomas temporarily when combined with the standard chemotherapy, Camptosar.
The researchers tested Avastin on 32 patients with stage III or stage IV cancer. They reported that 63% of the patients had their tumors shrink by at least 50% and the tumors did not start to grow again for at least six months in 38%.
An estimated 18,000 people are diagnosed with gliomas in the US each year, according to the American Cancer Society. Gliomas are difficult to treat as many drugs cannot reach the brain.