Avastin - Breast Cancer Drug Receives FDA Approval

Genetech's DNA cancer drug Avastin just received FDA approval as a treatment for advanced breast cancer.

The decision was a surprise after the FDA Panel voted 5 to 4 to reject the drug in December.  Here's what they said.  "We felt this therapy did have activity in breast cancer and it should be available for women to use."

Avastin is designed to inhibit tumors by interfering with a protein that forms blood vessels in the tumors.  The data showed that Avastin plus the chemotherapy drug Taxol doubled the progression-free survival of breast cancer patients compared to Taxol alone.

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