Sanofi-Aventis gets extension for colon cancer approval

Colon cancer patients treated after surgery with Eloxatin (oxaliplatin injection) have an increased chance of survival after six years, Sanofi-Aventis (SA) has announced.

Its updated results on Eloxatin can now be used in its prescribing information and include a 20 per cent reduction in risk of death after five years post-surgery for stage three colon cancer.

Principal investigator Aimery de Gramont from Hospital Saint Antoine, Paris, said the new survival analysis from the randomised phase III Mosaic study represented an important breakthrough in the care and management of colonic cancer.

In addition, stage three patients treated with Eloxatin were 22 per cent less likely to relapse or be at risk of disease recurrence.

“This announcement is welcome news for patients who have a significantly higher chance of surviving stage three colon cancer when treated with the Eloxatin-based regimen following surgery,” Mr de Gramont added.

SA has the third largest research and development budget in the European pharmaceutical industry, at more than 4.5 billion euros in 2007.