“Sometimes, despite the hopes of investigators, patients, industry and even the FDA itself, the results of rigorous testing can be disappointing,” Hamburg said. “This is the case with Avastin when used for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.”
While medical advances have reduced the death toll from breast cancer, the malignancy remains the most common cancer among women, and the decision leaves few last-ditch options for many of those fighting the most advanced form of the disease. As a result, the fate of the drug had sparked one of the more emotional and acrimonious debates in years over a medical treatment among patients, oncologists, women’s health advocates, health-care policymakers, politicians and the pharmaceutical industry.
Some patients likened the FDA decision to a death sentence. Advocates of quicker access to new treatments and critics fearing health-care rationing called it a prime example of government overstepping. But many leading researchers, public health analysts and even prominent breast cancer doctors and advocates praised the decision. They saw it as a crucial demonstration that careful examination of the scientific evidence trumped emotion and intense public pressure.
Despite the revocation, Avastin will remain available to treat other cancers, enabling doctors to prescribe it “off-label” for breast cancer patients. But several insurance companies have already stopped paying for the drug for breast cancer, and the decision will probably prompt more to follow. Avastin costs about $99,000 a year per patient. Breast cancer patients also will lose eligibility for a program sponsored by drugmaker Genentech that caps the annual cost at about $58,000 for women making less than $100,000 a year and helps cover insurance co-payments.
Medicare, however, will continue to pay for Avastin, at least for now, officials said. Genentech’s foundation also will help women who do not have insurance or whose insurance refuses to pay for it, and will refer women to other charitable groups that could help them, said company spokeswoman Charlotte Arnold.
“We are disappointed with this outcome. We remain committed to the many women with this incurable disease and will continue to provide help through our patient support programs to those who may be facing obstacles to receiving their treatment,” she said.
The decision was condemned by some patient advocacy groups.
“By not recognizing the fact that a subgroup of women with metastatic breast cancer respond well to Avastin, we have yet another tragic mistake by the FDA,” said Frank Burroughs, founder of the Abigail Alliance, which advocates for greater access to new treatments. “Because of FDA drug rejections like Avastin for breast cancer, the terribly slow FDA approval of lifesaving therapies and the FDA’s blocking of compassionate access, we are losing thousands of lives of cancer patients and others with serious life-threatening illnesses each year.”
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