Medical authorities in the United States have approved the use of the drug Avastin to help combat the most common form of kidney cancer, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche announced Monday.
Avastin has been given the seal of approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be used to treat metastatic renal cell carcinoma in combination with the drug Interferon Alpha, Roche said in a statement.According to the results of the third phase of a clinical study, patients who used a combination of the two drugs lived nearly twice as long without their disease getting worse compared to those who only used Interferon Alpha.
"This underscores our belief in the important clinical benefits that Avastin delivers as we push forward with our ongoing research programmes in more than 30 tumour types," said William Burns, chief executive of Roche's pharmaceuticals division.
Kidney cancer is the eighth most common type of cancer in the US, accounting for some 13,000 people last year.
Atorvastatin
This medication is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, also known as "statin”, prescribed for hyperlipidemia.
This medication is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, also known as "statin”, prescribed for hyperlipidemia.
The news comes after the European Commission last week approved the use of Avastin as a treatment against breast cancer.
Advertisement
Combination of Two Drugs Appears Safe and Effective in Metastatic Kidney Cancer
ORLANDO (May 31, 2009)—Fox Chase Cancer Center investigators report that a two-drug blockade of mTOR signaling appears safe in metastatic kidney cancer in a phase I trial.
ORLANDO (May 31, 2009)—Fox Chase Cancer Center investigators report that a two-drug blockade of mTOR signaling appears safe in metastatic kidney cancer in a phase I trial.
LIN
