Lack of interim OS benefit undermines Roche’s Avastin in glioblastoma
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Interim results show that Roche's Phase III AVAglio trial, investigating Avastin (bevacizumab) used in addition to standard treatment in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), has failed to meet its co-primary endpoint of overall survival (OS). This is disappointing news for Roche: its plans to make Avastin the backbone of drug treatment across a variety of cancers depend on physicians and payers perceiving that the drug adds to patient life expectancy, and the latest data does not help that cause.