Economy-Finance

Genetic tests may pinpoint who should get Avastin

By Ben Hirschler

LONDON, Oct 3 (Reuters) – Genetic tests could in future showwho will respond best to Genentech (DNA.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Roche’s (ROG.VX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz)blockbuster cancer drug Avastin — a positive development forpatients but not necessarily for sales.

Scientists writing in the latest issue of the Journal ofClinical Oncology said they had identified two genetic markersthat appeared linked to improved survival in women with breastcancer given the medicine.

Patients with genetic variations known as VEGF-2578 AA andVEGF-1154 A showed better overall survival than those withalternative genotypes, according to an analysis of 363 tumoursamples from a previous clinical trial.

Two other variants were linked to significantly fewer casesof high blood pressure.

“Our data support an association between VEGF genotype andmedian overall survival as well as grade 3 or 4 hypertensionwhen using bevacizumab (Avastin) in metastatic breast cancer,”Bryan Schneider of the U.S. Indiana University School ofMedicine and colleagues reported.

Industry analysts at Morgan Stanley said the work could bean important first step to defining a narrower patientpopulation for Avastin.

However, the finding still needs to be validated acrossother clinical trials. It is also unclear if genetic tests mightidentify responders and non-responders in other tumour types.

Avastin, which had sales of 4.1 billion Swiss francs ($3.6billion) last year, is used primarly in bowel cancer. It is alsoapproved for lung cancer.