FDA Panel Revokes Avastin for Breast Cancer Treatment Despite Patient Outcry

This week, an FDA Panel made up of independent experts unanimously voted that the cancer-treatment drug Avastin (bevacizumab) no longer be sold as a treatment for breast cancer in the United States. It will now be up to the FDA Commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, M.D., to review and decide upon the panel's recommendation - and if the Commissioner agrees, then the FDA will remove Avastin from the market.

Last December, as we detailed in our post, "Today's Recall of Breast Cancer Drug Avastin: Scandalous FDA Drug Recall That Many Deem "Death Panel" Decision," there was a recall of the drug - which was met by huge patient outcry and many pointing to Avastin as the first example of Death Panels in this country.

Despite that huge backlash in December, this FDA panel has issued its conclusion that Avastin offers "no substantial benefits" while it has "substantial risks" to victims of breast cancer. Interestingly, the panel okayed Avastin for other cancer treatments, such as lung cancer, colo-rectal cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and cancerous brain tumors.

Want to make a comment to the FDA Director on Avastin?

You can email her at margaret.hamburg@fda.hhs.gov.

By Bryant Esquenazi on June 30, 2011 1:15 PM