Breast Cancer Drug Avastin Stirs Doubt among Experts
by Marjorie Mapanao in Health News on Dec 24, 2010
Recent studies shows that Avastin (bevacizumab – Genentech) have put researchers in doubt due to its lack of safety and efficacy. This further led FDA to announce their recommendation regarding the removal of this drug.
FDA had reviewed four clinical studies on women with breast cancer using Avastin as medication. After reviewing those cases, the group determined that Avastin “does not prolong overall survival in breast cancer patients or provide sufficient benefit in slowing disease prevention to outweigh its significant risks.” FDA further reported that the risks included are severe high blood pressure, bleeding and hemorrhage, perforations in the body, and heart attack or heart failure. The group formed a committee that will look over and review the cases, and after some long hours of reviewing the cases, the committee voted to remove the indication from label of Avastin.
However, FDA is emphasizing that this will not immediately remove Avastin from the markets. This is only the first step to remove the drug. In addition, this recommendation will not affect its use to treat breast cancer, and the action will not affect the approvals for colon, kidney, brain and lung cancers. For oncologists, they are solely in-charge whether they give Avastin as medication to their patients.
Moreover, FDA added some risks that are associated with Avastin. This included risk of stroke, wound healing complications, and organ damage or failure. This drug also is linked with reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome, which is a condition characterized by high blood pressure, headaches, confusion, seizures, and vision loss.
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