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Bevacizumab

In the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer

  • Adis Drug Profiles
  • Published:
American Journal of Cancer

Abstract

▴ Bevacizumab, a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody directed against vascular endothelial growth factor, inhibits tumor angiogenesis and delays disease progression.

▴ Intravenous (IV) bevacizumab 5 mg/kg every 2 weeks, in combination with bolus irinotecan, fluorouracil and leucovorin (IFL), was administered as first-line therapy to patients with metastatic colorectal cancer in a large (n = 923), randomized, placebocontrolled, phase III trial.

▴ In this study, IFL plus bevacizumab significantly improved overall survival, progression-free survival, duration of response, and overall response rate compared with IFL plus placebo (p < 0.004 for each parameter).

▴ In combination with fluorouracil/leucovorin, IV bevacizumab 5 mg/kg every 2 weeks led to a significant increase in the median time to progression and response rate compared with fluorouracil/ leucovorin alone, in a randomized, phase II study (n = 104) of first-line therapy in a similar patient population (p < 0.029).

▴ Based on the available data, IV bevacizumab 5 mg/kg was generally well tolerated in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. Hypertension was significantly more frequent in patients receiving bevacizumab in the phase III trial (p < 0.01). Bevacizumab was associated with a small increase in the incidence of gastrointestinal perforation and wound healing complications compared with comparators.

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Notes

  1. The use of trade names is for product identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement.

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  1. Adis International Inc., 770 Township Line Road, Suite 300, Yardley, PA, 19067, USA

    Katherine F. Croom & Rachel H. Foster

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  1. Katherine F. Croom
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  2. Rachel H. Foster
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Correspondence to Katherine F. Croom.

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Croom, K.F., Foster, R.H. Bevacizumab. Am J Cancer 3, 187–194 (2004). https://doi.org/10.2165/00024669-200403030-00005

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