Avastin's Use in Treatment of Metastatic Breast Cancer Expected to Increase Dramatically on Heels of FDA's Accelerated Approval, According to Study by GfK Market Measures

Business Wire, March 10, 2008

Research suggests Avastin's market share will more than double in both first- and second-line therapy use in patients with HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer

EAST HANOVER, N.J. -- Reacting to the FDA's recent accelerated approval of Avastin's use in the treatment of HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in combination with paclitaxel, oncologists report they will more than double their use of the drug as both a first- and second-line therapy with patients, according to new research by GfK Market Measures.

The FDA granted accelerated approval of Avastin in the treatment of MBC on Feb. 22, based on the positive outcomes of ongoing follow-up from the E2100 trial conducted by the Eastern Cooperative Group and reinforced by the recent AVADO trial by Roche, for which results supporting Avastin's efficacy were announced on Feb. 12. Prior to the FDA's accelerated approval, more than one-half of oncologists surveyed had already been using Avastin off-label to treat patients with MBC, reporting its use as a first-line treatment in about one-quarter of patients. Following the drug's approval, oncologists anticipated doubling their use of the drug as a first-line therapy for MBC, reporting their intention to use it in more than one-half of patients. Respondents participating in GfK Market Measures' 2008 Avastin Market Event Study reported a similar trend in their expected increased use of Avastin as a second-line therapy in treatment of the disease. The research also revealed that Avastin will also find increased use as a third-line therapy.

Among the oncologists who were already using Avastin off-label prior to FDA approval, its known benefit of significantly improving progression-free survival was cited as the primary reason for Avastin's use. Post approval, oncologists indicated that ease of reimbursement and the fact that the drug is the new standard of care in first-line MBC therapy were reasons for their anticipated increased use. The oncologists surveyed who were not previously using Avastin for MBC cited the lack of formal FDA approval (reported by 40 percent of respondents) and their desire to wait for overall survival data (reported by 33 percent of respondents) as key reasons for not using the drug in these patients.

"These findings, obtained soon after the FDA's favorable decision regarding use of Avastin in HER2 negative MBC, indicate that an Avastin-based regimen will quickly become the new standard in frontline systemic therapy for these patients," said Bill Bowman, vice president and category business leader, oncology, GfK Market Measures. "The survey results also suggest that several cytotoxic agents in wide use for MBC may be affected by being pushed back more to second- or third-line use, as Avastin grabs a larger share of the overall HER2 negative MBC patient population."

100 Medical Oncologists and Hematologists/Oncologists Share Their Insights

Reflecting insights from 100 medical oncologists and hematologists/ oncologists, fielded via Internet questionnaire Feb. 28 through March 4, GfK Market Measures' 2008 Avastin Market Event Study assesses Avastin's impact on the metastatic breast cancer market in light of the FDA's accelerated approval of Avastin for this indication, which was granted on Feb. 22.

About GfK Market Measures

GfK Market Measures provides health care clients with a unique mix of custom and syndicated solutions to support the full marketing continuum, including market assessment, brand tracking, sales force effectiveness, health care consumer and product launch applications. GfK Market Measures is a member of the GfK U.S. Healthcare Companies, the largest provider of custom health care marketing research services in the United States. For further information, visit www.gfkmarketmeasures.com. For more details on this study or to schedule an interview with a GfK Market Measures executive, please contact Jessica Makovsky, group vice president of communications, GfK U.S. Healthcare Companies, at 215.283.3200 x372 or jmakovsky@gfkushc.com.