Roche Avastin drug increases survival in lung cancer patients

Source: Healthcare Digital

Date :13/11/2008 16:40:30

Roche Holding AG has stated that its drug Avastin extended the lives of patients with one of the most common types of lung cancer by four months.

Roche, the world's largest maker of cancer drugs, said Thursday November 13, that the Phase III trial had shown that patients with advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung had a 45 percent better chance of survival with Avastin.

"The analysis demonstrated that patients with adenocarcinoma achieved a median overall survival of 14.2 months when treated with an Avastin-based therapy compared to 10.3 months seen with chemotherapy alone," Roche said.

Avastin had sales of CHF4.1 billion last year.