Roche's Avastin prolongs colorectal cancer patients survival

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ZURICH, June 30 (Reuters) - A new Phase III study of Roche Holding AG's (ROG.VX) cancer drug Avastin showed significantly improved survival in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer irrespective of K-Ras gene mutations, the Basel-based drug maker said on Monday.

Roche said the findings were important because other biologic combinations are ineffective in patients with this gene mutation, which occurs in half of colorectal cancer patients.

At 0845 GMT, Roche shares were up nearly 1 percent at 176.50 Swiss francs.

Data from the randomized, controlled Phase III AVF2107 study involving more than 800 previously untreated metastatic colorectal cancer patients was presented on Monday at the World Congress on Gastrointestinal Cancer (WCGC) in Barcelona, Spain.

In the study, Avastin was combined with a standard chemotherapy called irinotecan, fluorouracil and leucovorin (IFL).

Roche said results showed an 82 percent increase in the time patients with normal K-Rase gene live without their disease getting worse compared to chemotherapy alone.

It also showed a 57 percent increase in overall survival versus chemotherapy alone in the same patient group, while a 60 percent increase in the response rate was observed, compared to 37 percent in patients receiving chemotherapy alone.

In the patient group with K-Ras gene mutations, a 69 percent increase in the time patients live without their disease getting worse was observed, compared with chemotherapy alone.

In January 2008, Avastin had been given a broad label in the EU allowing it to be used in combination with fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy for first and later treatment lines in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. (Reporting by Andrew Thompson; Editing by Quentin Bryar