Success for Avastin in Breast Cancer Study

Genentech manufactured Avastin has successfully met the goal of increasing the survival time for patients without having the breast cancer progress.

San Francisco based Biotechnology Company, Genentech and its partner Roche have announced that the famous cancer drug, Avastin has met the study goal to see the effectiveness of the drug in prolonging progression-free survival for the breast cancer patients.

"We are pleased that a second Phase III study in this population of breast cancer patients showed a significant improvement in progression-free survival," said Hal Barron, Genentech's chief medical officer.

"The trial also demonstrated Avastin's potential with a different chemotherapy in this disease," he added.

The drug has already been approved for the Colon and rectal cancer and it is under the scrutiny of FDA for its use in the breast cancer treatment.

The study was done on 736 patients who had not received prior chemotherapy treatment. Avastin was added to chemotherapy treatment in one of two doses in combination with docetaxel. It was observed that there was a significant improvement in the time for which patients lived without their disease advancing compared to patients who received chemotherapy and a placebo.

Last year in December, an FDA advisory panel had narrowly recommended against expanding approval for the use of Avastin to cure other type of cancers. Experts feel that the results if this study will help the case of Genentech to get the approval this time.

"News of a second progression-free survival study is obviously a positive, even with a different chemotherapy," said Cowen and Co analyst Ziad Bakri, adding that he expects the FDA to delay its approval decision while it reviews the new data.

Avastin was Genentech's top-selling drug in 2007, with the sales of nearly $2.3 billion in the year. Experts feel that if FDA grants this approval to the company, the drug can be a key revenue generator for Genentech in the coming years.

The study was sponsored by the Swiss drug maker, Roche which holds a majority stake in Genentech and sells Genentech's drugs outside the United States.

Shares of Genentech rose $1.66, or 2.4 percent, to $71.58 in after-hours trading. They earlier rose 44 cents to close at $69.92.