Avastin Receives Positive Opinion in Europe

The European Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive recommendation for Roche’s Avastin for the treatment of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

CHMP’s decision is based on data from the pivotal Phase III AVOREN trial, which showed that adding Avastin (bevacizumab) to interferon gave patients with advanced RCC the chance to live twice as long without their disease progressing compared with interferon alone, Roche said.

The committee’s decision is the first recommendation for approval of the drug for kidney cancer. It follows approvals of Avastin in colorectal, breast and lung cancer in various countries.