WASHINGTON, Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA)
hailed the news of the FDA approval of Avastin (bevacizumab) for the most
common type of lung cancer.
"Lung cancer is responsible for over one-third of all U.S. cancer
deaths, killing more people than breast, prostate, colon, liver and kidney
cancers combined each year," said Laurie Fenton, President of Lung Cancer
Alliance in Washington, D.C. "Sadly, we have few arrows in our treatment
quiver to address this lethal killer," continued Fenton. "That is why the
ability to use Avastin as a treatment method, along with chemotherapy, is a
significant development for the lung cancer community."
The Avastin approval was based on studies showing it extended survival
time to 12.3 months, longer than with chemotherapy alone. Avastin is
specifically approved for initial treatment of non-squamous, non-small cell
lung cancer (NSCLC) in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy for
people who are not eligible for surgery, or have locally advanced,
recurrent or metastatic NSCLC. Avastin is manufactured by Genentech, Inc.
Lung Cancer Alliance commends Genentech for making lung cancer a
priority and for responding to concerns about the pricing of Avastin for
lung cancer. The dose for lung cancer is twice that for colorectal cancer,
for which Avastin was previously approved. The company will cap the price
of Avastin at $55,000 per year for people who are eligible, starting
January 2007. This cap will include all spending on Avastin in one year,
including spending by insurers. This is approximately half of the previous
projected cost for one year of lung cancer treatment.
The Lung Cancer Alliance (http://www.LungCancerAlliance.org) is the
only national non-profit organization solely dedicated to patient support
and advocacy for people living with, or at risk for, lung cancer. As the
number one cancer killer, lung cancer will kill more than 160,000 Americans
this year alone, causing more deaths than breast, prostate, colon, liver,
kidney cancers and melanoma combined.
SOURCE Lung Cancer Alliance
 back to top
Related links:
http://www.LungCancerAlliance.org
CONTACT:
Kay Cofrancesco of Lung Cancer Alliance,
+1-202-463-2080, or kcofrancesco@lungcanceralliance.org
|
