Drug Overview
Avastin (bevacizumab; Genentech/Roche/Chugai) is a humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody directed against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The VEGF protein is an essential component of the angiogenesis pathway, critical for blood vessel formation, facilitating tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. Inhibiting the VEGF protein leads to decreased blood vessel formation, thereby restricting nutrient intake and limiting tumor growth and development. In the US, Avastin is currently approved for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, glioblastoma, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer.
Analyst Outlook
Avastin (bevacizumab; Genentech/Roche/Chugai) will face significant generic erosion in the US and Europe following patent expiries in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Amgen’s biosimilar Mvasi, which was approved in both the EU and US in 2017 (FDA, 2017; EMA, 2017), is expected to be available for patients immediately upon the expiry of key Avastin patents. While generic erosion is forecast to significantly reduce Avastin’s sales, the drug’s approval for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Japan will offer some relief, though the size of this market will not be sufficient to offset losses in the US and Europe. Furthermore, the combination of Avastin + Tecentriq (atezolizumab; Roche/Chugai) is in clinical trials for use in the first-line setting. The combination has already provided strong clinical trial data in the Phase III IMmotion 151 study, improving progression-free survival compared to Sutent (sunitinib; Pfizer) in patients whose disease expressed programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1).
Avastin (bevacizumab; Genentech/Roche/Chugai) is a humanized immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody directed against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The VEGF protein is an essential component of the angiogenesis pathway, critical for blood vessel formation, facilitating tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. Inhibiting the VEGF protein leads to decreased blood vessel formation, thereby restricting nutrient intake and limiting tumor growth and development. In the US, Avastin is currently approved for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma, colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, glioblastoma, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer.
Analyst Outlook
Avastin (bevacizumab; Genentech/Roche/Chugai) will face significant generic erosion in the US and Europe following patent expiries in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Amgen’s biosimilar Mvasi, which was approved in both the EU and US in 2017 (FDA, 2017; EMA, 2017), is expected to be available for patients immediately upon the expiry of key Avastin patents. While generic erosion is forecast to significantly reduce Avastin’s sales, the drug’s approval for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in Japan will offer some relief, though the size of this market will not be sufficient to offset losses in the US and Europe. Furthermore, the combination of Avastin + Tecentriq (atezolizumab; Roche/Chugai) is in clinical trials for use in the first-line setting. The combination has already provided strong clinical trial data in the Phase III IMmotion 151 study, improving progression-free survival compared to Sutent (sunitinib; Pfizer) in patients whose disease expressed programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1).
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OVERVIEW
LIST OF FIGURES
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