Successes and Failures for Avastin (Bevacizumab) mean Mixed News for the Blockbuster Drug in the Oncology Therapeutics Market

Introduction

Avastin (bevacizumab) is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor inhibitor. It was first approved in 2004 and is used in the treatment of various cancers. At present, it is approved for the late-stage treatment of colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), renal cell carcinoma, glioblastoma multiforme and breast cancer, although approval for the latter indication has recently been withdrawn in the US and its efficacy has been cast in some doubt. It has also seen failures in early-stage colon cancer, gastric cancer and, most recently, metastatic urothelial carcinoma. There have also been doubts cast about its efficacy in treating glioblastoma. The drug is manufactured by Roche/Genentech. In more positive news, Avastin is in many clinical trials, testing it with different drug combinations for various cancer indications. For example, its efficacy is currently being compared between combinations with everolimus and interferon alfa-2a in the treatment of metastatic kidney cancer. This viewpoint will review the current situation and future potential for the blockbuster cancer therapy, in light of the mixed news it has received over the last year.

Scope

- It is an uncertain time for Avastin in the cancer therapeutics market. While the drug is in trials for a wide variety of different cancer types and has a potentially positive future in several indications in various combinations with other cancer drugs, concerns over its toxicity and efficacy when used to treat metastatic HER2 negative breast cancer have resulted in the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) withdrawing its approval for this disease. This has reduced Roche’s peak annual sales forecast for the drug to $7.5 billion from $9.6 billion, which is a significant blow. Avastin was worth $6.8 billion in revenues in the fiscal year ended 2009, and while its use in other indications should mean that it remains a significant drug for Roche, sales dropped by 5% overall in the fourth quarter of 2010 as a result of the loss of revenue from the important US breast cancer therapeutics market. It needs to demonstrate efficacy and safety in other cancer indications in order to offset this loss.

Highlights

Reasons to buy

- Impact analysis of successes and Failures for Avastin (Bevacizumab) mean Mixed News for the Blockbuster Drug in the Oncology Therapeutics Market