Roche’s Avastin shows cervical cancer benefits in new trial

Roche has announced the results of a large independent study that shows how its multipurpose therapy Avastin can deliver better outcomes for women with advanced cervical cancer.

Data from the Gynaecologic Oncology Group study revealed that the addition of Avastin to paclitaxel/cisplatin or paclitaxel/topotecan chemotherapy extended the lives of patients compared to chemotherapy alone.

In enhancing overall survival rates, the drug was able to meet its primary endpoint goal in the trial, which was the first to evaluate Avastin as a potential therapy for this hard-to-treat condition.

Dr Hal Barron, chief medical officer and head of global product development at Roche, said: "Worldwide, cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women and those who have an advanced form of this cancer need new medicines."

Avastin was first made available in 2004 and has been used to treat more than one million patients worldwide to date.

Earlier this month, a separate study showed that the drug can offer progression-free survival benefits among patients with glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive form of primary brain cancer.