EU agency backs Avastin (bevacizumab) for ovarian cancer

ZURICH (Reuters) – Swiss drugmaker Roche said on Friday European regulators had adopted a positive opinion of its drug bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of women with advanced ovarian cancer.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) issued a positive opinion for Avastin, in combination with chemotherapy as a treatment for women with recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer, Roche said.

In December 2011, the European Commission approved Avastin for treating women with newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian cancer, in combination with standard chemotherapy.

Almost 230,000 women worldwide are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, many of them with advanced disease that returns after initial treatment.