Enrollment in Cancer Drug Avastin Study Halted Due to Heart-Failure Cases

Drug maker Roche said it has stopped enrolling breast cancer patients in a study of the drug Avastin after some patients developed heart failure.

The study, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, was designed to test Avastin’s effectiveness at treating breast cancer when it is used along with chemotherapy. However, six early-stage breast cancer patients admitted to the study developed symptoms of heart failure, a condition in which the heart is no longer able to effectively pump blood through the body.

Roche was conducting the study along with the U.S. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. The company said the rate of heart failure symptoms seen in the study is consistent with the drug’s safety profile.

Avastin is already approved to treat some forms of lung, brain, colon, and kidney cancers. The Food and Drug Administration approved Avastin in 2004 to treat metastatic colon cancer and in 2006 to treat certain types of lung cancer. In August, the FDA approved Avastin for treating a leading type of kidney cancer.

However, the drug has been controversial recently as Roche seeks to broaden its approvals for use in treating more diseases.

In April, Avastin performed poorly in a clinical trial designed to test the drug’s ability to substantially prolong the lives of people with early-stage cancer colon cancer.

Patients taking Avastin for cancer treatments also have reported suffering from eye inflammation when the drug is used for unapproved treatment of an eye condition.

No related posts.