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 An approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating
advanced cervical cancer would open another large market for the
medicine in patients for whom chemotherapy has been largely
ineffective. About 4,000 women in the United States and 250,000
worldwide die each year from the disease.
"This regulatory application for Avastin is important because
chemotherapy is the only approved treatment for women with
metastatic, recurrent or persistent cervical cancer," Sandra
Horning, Roche's chief medical officer and head of Global Product
Development, said in a statement.
The approval follows a favorable study showing the drug helped
prolong the lives of women with advanced cervical cancer when added
to chemotherapy in a late-stage clinical trial, likely paving the
way to another major use for the multibillion-dollar medicine.
Avastin, which is approved in the United States to treat a variety
of cancers including colon, lungs and kidneys, recorded 1.565
billion Swiss francs ($1.75 billion) in revenue in the first
quarter.
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($1 = 0.8919 Swiss Francs)
(Reporting by Katharina Bart; Editing by Michael Urquhart and
Stephen Coates)
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