“Avastin Used in Combination with Taxol and Paraplatin Will Become the Clinical Gold Standard Treatment by 2011, According to a New Report from Decision Resources

WALTHAM, Mass., April 23 /PRNewswire/ — Decision Resources, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms focusing on pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that surveyed oncologists say that a therapy’s effect on overall survival is the attribute that most influences their prescribing decisions in advanced ovarian cancer. Clinical data and expert opinion show that Roche/Genentech/Chugai‘s Avastin (bevacizumab) plus the regimen of paclitaxel (Bristol-Myers Squibb’s Taxol, generics) and carboplatin (Bristol- Myers Squibb’s Paraplatin, generics) has advantages in this attribute over the combination of paclitaxel/carboplatin, the current sales leader in ovarian cancer treatment.

The new report entitled Ovarian Cancer (Advanced): Therapies Must Increase Survival over Paclitaxel/Carboplatin to Successfully Enter this Generic Market finds that, according to surveyed oncologists, a drug that offers improved median overall survival compared with paclitaxel/carboplatin would earn a 50 percent patient share in the ovarian cancer market. Surveyed oncologists indicated that they would prescribe Avastin plus paclitaxel/carboplatin to 29 percent of their patients with advanced ovarian cancer. As a result, Avastin plus paclitaxel/carboplatin will earn a 22 percent patient share in the U.S. advanced ovarian cancer market in 2016.

The report also finds that Avastin plus paclitaxel/carboplatin will earn the clinical gold-standard status for treatment of advanced ovarian cancer in 2011, following its approval for the indication in 2010. Surveyed oncologists indicated that Avastin plus paclitaxel/carboplatin has competitive advantages in efficacy over paclitaxel/carboplatin, the current gold standard.

‘Avastin plus paclitaxel/carboplatin has the same delivery attributes and only marginally different safety attributes when compared with paclitaxel/carboplatin,’ said Jenna Avent, analyst at Decision Resources. ‘However, the regimen of Avastin plus paclitaxel/carboplatin has better efficacy when compared to the current gold standard, paclitaxel/carboplatin, and oncologists rate efficacy as the most important parameter in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer.’”

[Quoted Source:  “Avastin Used in Combination with Drugs from Bristol-Myers Squibb Has Advantages in Survival Rates Over the Current Sales-Leading Therapy for Advanced Ovarian Cancer,” News, EarthTimes.org, April 23, 2008][Emphasis added].