Bevacizumab an improvement on standard therapy in colorectal cancer

Bevacizumab [rhuMAb-VEGF, 'Avastin'], a monoclonal antibody targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), is the first anti-angiogenic agent shown to improve survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, according to a study presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology [Chicago, US; May-June 2003]. In a phase III study involving more than 900 patients, first-line treatment with bevacizumab plus a standard chemotherapy regimen containing irinotecan, fluorouracil and folinic acid [leucovorin] significantly improved overall and progression-free survival durations, response rates and response durations, compared with the chemotherapy regimen alone.