FDA panel rejects Avastin for breast cancer (Morning Read)

Health insurance companies will likely not cover off-label use of the popular cancer drug Avastin for breast cancer if FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg follows the recommendation of a panel that yesterday shot down the drug's use in breast cancer patients. Despite hearing testimonies from several patients who have had success with the drug, the panel unanimously rejected Genentech's appeal of a 2010 FDA recommendation to revoke the approval of Avastin for treating breast cancer. Dangerous side effects and poor results in follow-up studies were cited as reasons for the recommendation. The panel's ruling is non-binding, and Hamburg will make the final decision.

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FDA panel rejects Avastin for breast cancer. Health insurance companies will likely not cover off-label use of the popular cancer drug Avastin for breast cancer if FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg follows the recommendation of a panel that yesterday shot down the drug’s use in breast cancer patients. Despite hearing testimonies from several patients who have had success with the drug, the panel unanimously rejected Genentech’s appeal of a 2010 FDA recommendation to revoke the approval of Avastin for breast cancer treatment. Dangerous side effects and poor results in follow-up studies were cited as reasons for the recommendation. The panel’s ruling is non-binding, and Hamburg will make the final decision.

One thing that won’t help your headache: a smelly pill. More than 60,000 bottles of Tylenol Extra Strength were recalled Tuesday because of a musty smell. Johnson & Johnson says it’s identified the compound causing the smell to be the byproduct of a chemical used on shipping pallets, which can cause mild gastrointestinal symptoms. The pharmaceutical giant has had about two dozen drug recalls since September 2009.

Court gives thumbs up to Obamacare. A federal appeals court ruled Wednesday that the healthcare overhaul, specifically the provision that mandates most Americans purchase insurance, is within the limits of Congress’s power to regulate economic activity.

Acetylon’s fundraising total reaches $40M. Boston-based Acetylon raised $27 million in its latest round, which the company says it will use to finance the preclinical advancement of its small molecule drugs to fight cancer and non-cancer diseases.

Up-and-coming in biotech. BiotechNow put together a list of the five biotechnology countries to watch, based on Scientific American‘s Bio Innovation Scorecard Reviews. Brazil tops the list, followed by Italy and Canada.

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