Roche's anticancer agent Avastin filed in Europe for lung cancer indications

Swiss drug major Roche says that it has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application to the European Medicines Agency, requesting approval for the use of Avastin (bevacizumab) in the treatment of lung cancer. Specifically, the MAA focuses on the drug as an addition to platinum-based chemotherapy in the first-line treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Avastin is an angiogenesis inhibitor that targets the naturally-occurring protein vascular endothelial growth (VEGF), thereby preventing the development of blood vessels that would otherwise supply the tumor with nutrients. This action also helps prevent the spread of the cancer throughout the body. The drug was approved in both Europe and the USA for use in the first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with IV 5-florouracil based chemotherapy (Marketletters January 24, 2005 and March 8, 2004). Additionally, the product was submitted to Japanese regulatory authorities by Roche and its local subsidiary Chugai earlier this year, requesting approval for its use in the treatment of colorectal cancer (Marketletter May 1).

MAA based on E4599 trial results and ...