The US FDA has announced last February 22, that it has conditionally approved the Genentech's Avastin drug for breast cancer. Avastin which blocks blood vessel growth to the tumor has been in the market for over 3 years now for colon and lung cancer, it has also been approved in Europe and being prescribed for breast cancer.
Although FDA's advisory panel voted against the approval 5-4, because the drug shrank tumors but did not lead to longer life or improved quality of life for cancer patients. FDA has recently took a surprise decison in approving Avastin. This took the doctor's and investor's by surprise since FDA doesnt always disregard the opinion of its own advisory panel regarding approval of drugs.
The surprising decision has been deemed to reflect the agency's flexibility amidst the many criticisms from cancer advocacy groups due to the agency's failure to approve any new cancer drugs last year.
The decision has placed high hopes that Provenge, a drug that is considered to help prostate cancer patients, can also be approved this year. Though it failed to shrink tumors in the 127-patient trial presented to the FDA last year, a standard measure of efficacy. But patients on Provenge did live 4.5 months longer than those on standard treatment, with fewer side effects.
Since no new drugs for advanced prostate cancer have been introduced in more than 20 years, oncologists and patients alike are eager to see Provenge approved. The advisory committee voted 17-0 that the drug was safe and 13-4 that it was effective
Looking forward to more research and development on cancer vaccines and treatment soon.
Although FDA's advisory panel voted against the approval 5-4, because the drug shrank tumors but did not lead to longer life or improved quality of life for cancer patients. FDA has recently took a surprise decison in approving Avastin. This took the doctor's and investor's by surprise since FDA doesnt always disregard the opinion of its own advisory panel regarding approval of drugs.
The surprising decision has been deemed to reflect the agency's flexibility amidst the many criticisms from cancer advocacy groups due to the agency's failure to approve any new cancer drugs last year.
The decision has placed high hopes that Provenge, a drug that is considered to help prostate cancer patients, can also be approved this year. Though it failed to shrink tumors in the 127-patient trial presented to the FDA last year, a standard measure of efficacy. But patients on Provenge did live 4.5 months longer than those on standard treatment, with fewer side effects.
Since no new drugs for advanced prostate cancer have been introduced in more than 20 years, oncologists and patients alike are eager to see Provenge approved. The advisory committee voted 17-0 that the drug was safe and 13-4 that it was effective
Looking forward to more research and development on cancer vaccines and treatment soon.
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