Avastin as breast cancer treatment may get disapproved by the FDA

Avastin which is a breast cancer drug may be pulled by a committee on the Food and Drug Administration. Breast cancer may not even be affected by the drug as was shown in a second trial on the drug. The FDA hasn’t explained if the drug is going to be disapproved yet or not. Roche, which manufactures the drug, might lose a lot if the FDA pulls the drug.

Avastin sells easily

Avastin is the name of Bevacizumab which is a cancer med. It could be called an angiogenesis inhibitor which stops blood vessels from growing. Blood vessels can’t grow anymore after it stops the hormone that stimulates growth, called vascular endothelial. The Los Angeles Times, reports that the drug was approved in 2008 by the FDA as long as more studies were done to prove it works. The drug was tested in a second round of trials by Roche and Genentech which manufacture the drug, and in this second round of testing, it was shown to have little result in helping cancer. $ 1 billion of the $ 6 billion of the drug that sells goes to breast cancer patients.

Losses in Roche company

Market Watch reports that Genentech, Roche Holding Inc., dropped 4.1 percent within the stock market following the recommendation came from the FDA group. There was also a lawsuit most recently against an additional drug the business makes called Accutane which treats acne. Even if it doesn’t help breast cancer specifically, it has helped numerous other cancers.

Just the beginning

It takes a long time to develop effective medications, especially for diseases like cancer. There may well one day be a cure for cancer, but it will take a long time. If the FDA does pull its approval of Avastin being marketed for breast cancer treatments, it may lead to selling fewer pills, but that’s about this.

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Los Angeles Times
latimes.com/news/health/sns-health-avastin-breast-cancer,0,2730048.story
Market Watch
marketwatch.com/story/roche-shares-drop-after-fda-ruling-on-avastin-2010-07-21
Bevacizumab
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bevacizumab