Yet another indication for Roche's blockbuster Avastin from FDA

16 November 2014

The US Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Avastin (bevacizumab) solution for intravenous infusion in combination with paclitaxel, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin, or topotecan for the treatment of patients with platinum-resistant, recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer.

This is the sixth indication for Swiss pharma major Roche (ROG: SIX) subsidiary Genentech’s blockbuster Avastin, which is already marketed for colon, lung, kidney and cervical cancers as well as glioblastoma. It was approved in Europe for ovarian cancer in the summer (The Pharma Letter August 6).

The FDA last approved an ovarian cancer treatment in 2006, for Eli Lilly’s (NYSE: LLY) Gemzar (gemcitabine HCl) plus carboplatin for advanced ovarian cancer that relapsed at least six months after platinum-based therapy (TPL July 24, 2006).

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