Merck Serono's Erbitux now a standard-of-care for confirmed KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer, news study show

Merck Serono, a division of German drug major Merck KGaA, says that survey results published at this year's American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting reveal that Erbitux (cetuximab) has become a standard of care for confirmed KRAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

In addition, the number of patients being KRAS tested to determine if they could benefit from a personalized therapy, such as Erbitux, has leapt from 2.5% in 2008 to 42% in early 2009. These figures highlight a dramatic change in the practices of physicians involved in the management of mCRC, who are increasingly using the KRAS test to enable them to provide patients with personalized therapy.

'The dynamic increase in the number of patients being tested to determine their KRAS status is extremely encouraging and reflects recent recommendations that all mCRC patients should be KRAS tested at diagnosis,' said Fortunato Ciardiello, lead investigator and Professor of Medical Oncology at The Second University of Naples, Italy. 'It also indicates that physicians, who are responsible for providing their patients with the best possible care, are beginning to utilize a test that enables them to offer patients personalized treatment and an increased chance of survival,' he noted.