Efficacy across tumours

• Solid tumours are unable to grow beyond a size of 1–2mm, or undergo further growth and metastasis, without the ability to establish their own blood supply through angiogenesis^1–3
  • an anticancer agent such as Avastin^© that inhibits this process should, therefore, have activity against all types of solid tumours.⁴

• Within each tumour type, anti-angiogenic therapy should also benefit patients, regardless of demographics or disease characteristics.
• This section explores the clinical evidence supporting the above hypotheses.

Avastin^© provides benefit in several tumour types

• Clinical trials of Avastin^© in different tumour types have demonstrated that VEGF inhibition produces clinical benefit for the patient.
• As a result, Avastin^© has been licensed
  • in Europe and the USA for use in the treatment of mCRC, mBC, unresectable advanced, metastatic or recurrent NSCLC and advanced and/or metastatic RCC^5,6
  • in the USA for the treatment of GBM.⁶

First-line use of bevacizumab extends OS and/or PFS across multiple tumour types^5,7–10

REFERENCES
1. Hicklin DJ, Ellis LM. J Clin Oncol 2005;23:1011–27.
2. Mukhopadhyay D, Datta K. Semin Cancer Biol 2004;14:123–30.
3. Baka S, Clamp AR, Jayson GC. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2006;10:867–76.
4. Folkman J. New Eng J Med 1971;285:1182–6.
5. Avastin^© Summary of Product Characteristics. Available at: http://www.emea.europa.eu/humandocs/Humans/EPAR/Avastin/Avastin.htm.
6. US Prescribing Information for Avastin^© 2009. Available at: http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2009/125085s0168lbl.pdf. 
7. Hurwitz H, Fehrenbacher L, Novotny W, et al. N Engl J Med 2004;350:2335–42.
8. Sandler A, Gray R, Perry MC, et al. N Engl J Med 2006;355:2542–50.
9. Gray R, Bhattacharya S, Bowden C, Miller K, Comis RL. J Clin Oncol 2009;27:4966–72.
10. Escudier B, Pluzanska A, Koralewski P, et al. Lancet 2007;370:2103–11.