The European commission has approved broader label for Roche’s Avastin allowing combination with docetaxel for the first-line treatment of advanced (metastatic) breast cancer. Avastin is an antibody that specifically binds and blocks VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor).
Earlier in March 2007, Avastin was approved in Europe for the first-line treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer, in combination with paclitaxel. The approval received today implies that Avastin can also be combined with docetaxel. The standard dose of Avastin for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer remains at 10mg/kg every 2 weeks or 15mg/kg every 3 weeks, said the company.
William Burns, CEO of Pharmaceuticals Division at Roche, said: “Avastin is changing the way cancer is treated, and it has already demonstrated significant benefits across multiple tumour types including breast cancer. This approval is positive news as more patients with advanced breast cancer could benefit from Avastin since physicians will now have more treatment options.”