Avastin Fails to Meet Primary Goals in Prostate Cancer Clinical Trial

Roche is reporting that a clinical trial of their Avastin drug in men with advanced prostate cancer did not improve their overall life expectancy.

The drug is already widely used to treat an array of cancers including; colon, breast, lung and kidney cancers.

In the clinical trial, the drug was being tested along with Sanofi’s chemotherapy drug Taxotere.

Not only did the drug not extend the lives of patients, but some adverse side effects were also reported.

Roche reported in a study last month, that Avastin did extend the lives of patients with ovarian cancer, but failed to do so for patients battling gastric cancers.

The drug works by effectively cutting off blood supply to tumors, thus starving them to death.

Roche, the world’s largest maker of cancer drugs is trying to extend the use of Avastin, a move that would greatly increase the drugs’ earning potential.