Stage IV colorectal cancer: Therapy that improves overall survival over IFL/bevacizumab will earn 60% patient share

Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that a therapy that would improve median overall survival over IFL (bolus 5-fluorouracil, generics/leucovorin, generics/irinotecan) plus bevacizumab (Roche/Genentech/Chugai's Avastin), would earn a 60 percent patient share in stage IV colorectal cancer, according to surveyed U.S. oncologists. In Europe, such an agent would earn a 50 percent patient share, according to surveyed European oncologists.

The new report entitled Colorectal Cancer (Stage IV): Blockbuster Opportunity Awaits a Therapy That Would Improve Overall Survival over IFL/Bevacizumab finds that the 4.7 month increase in median overall survival achieved by IFL/bevacizumab over IFL alone in 2004 in the landmark AVF-2107 clinical trial remains unsurpassed by any emerging therapy evaluated in Phase III clinical trials conducted in recent years.

The report also finds that FOLFOX4 (5-fluorouracil, generics/leucovorin, generics/oxaliplatin [Sanofi-Aventis's Eloxatin/Eloxatine, Yakult Honsha's Elplat, generics]) plus bevacizumab will retain Decision Resources' proprietary clinical gold-standard status for first-line treatment of stage IV colorectal cancer through 2018. In 2009, FOLFOX4/bevacizumab earned gold-standard status owing primarily to the optimal combination of efficacy and acceptable safety and tolerability as compared to other current and emerging therapies. Based on available data and expert opinion, no other therapy in development is expected to displace FOLFOX4/bevacizumab as the clinical gold standard for first-line treatment of stage IV colorectal cancer. While some therapies in development for the indication hold promise, most have efficacy, safety and tolerability and/or delivery features that are inferior when compared to FOLFOX4/bevacizumab.

"Surveyed oncologists say that a therapy's effect on overall survival is the attribute that most influences their prescribing decisions in the treatment of stage IV colorectal cancer," said Decision Resources Analyst Natalia Reoutova. "Clinical data and the opinions of interviewed thought leaders indicate that current and emerging therapies have no advantage over sales-leading FOLFOX4/bevacizumab on this attribute."

SOURCE Decision Resources