AVASTIN (bevacizumab), monoclonal antibody - BREAST CANCER

Low clinical interest without demonstrated clinical benefit in combination with paclitaxel relative to paclitaxel alone in the first-line management of HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer.

• AVASTIN has marketing authorisation in HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer as a first-line treatment in combination with paclitaxel or in combination with capecitabine in patients for whom treatment with other chemotherapy options, including taxanes or anthracyclines, is not considered appropriate.
• In combination with paclitaxel, the addition of bevacizumab to paclitaxel (or taxane/anthracycline) modestly improved progression-free survival relative to paclitaxel alone, without demonstrating improvement of overall survival. New observational data have not demonstrated, with a sufficient level of evidence, the benefit on overall survival of the addition of bevacizumab to paclitaxel relative to paclitaxel alone. 
• In combination with paclitaxel, bevacizumab remains a first-line treatment alternative for HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer.
• Its role in the subpopulation of HER2-negative and Rh-negative patients (triple negative) cannot be specified in the absence of data.
• In combination with capecitabine, the clinical benefit of this combination is insufficient to justify reimbursement by National Health Insurance.