FDA, EMA issue statements on Roche’s Avastin in breast cancer

The FDA announced Thursday that it is recommending withdrawing the licence for Roche’s Avastin (bevacizumab) as a treatment for breast cancer because the product “has not been shown to be safe and effective for that use.” Separately, the European Medicines Agency confirmed that the benefits of the therapy, in combination with paclitaxel, continue to “outweigh its risks” and therefore “remains a valuable treatment option for patients suffering from metastatic breast cancer.”