Avastin

[Guest]

Most oncologists are willing to prescribe it, as long as we are willing and able to pay for it without insurance. From what I gather I think, this is going to be VERY EXPENSIVE. I think she was quoted $675 for 100mg vial, and $2500 for 400mg vial. As I understand it, the standard dose is 5mg/kg body weight, every other week. So, for a 50kg person, that is 250mg per infusion, give or take. From the prescribing info that Genentech has on their web site, I recall reading it takes 100 days to reach steady state. So, it is going to be a costly

there are 3 Avastin + something studies recruiting now.

1. A Phase I Trial of Concurrent RHUMAB VEGF (BEVACIZUMAB) and Capecitabine-based Chemoradiation for Patients with Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer. Sponsored by M.D. Anderson Cancer Center http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/N ... 10?order=1

2. Phase II Study of Bevacizumab and Gemcitabine in Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer. Sponsored by University of Chicago Cancer Research Center and National Cancer Institute (NCI) http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/N ... 34?order=2. This is a multi-center trial, including Mayo clinic.

3. Phase II Randomized Study of Bevacizumab With or Without Docetaxel in Patients With Previously Treated Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. Sponsored by Fox Chase Cancer Center and National Cancer Institute (NCI) http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/N ... 77?order=3

Here's the dosage and administration info from the prescribing info PDF:

The recommended dose of Avastin is 5mg/kg given once every 14 days as an IV infusion until disease progression is detected.

The maximum tolerated dose of Avastin has not been determined. The highest dose tested in humans (20mg/kg IV) was associated with headache in 9 of 16 patients and with severe headache in 3 of 16 patients.

Looking at the tables of side effects and how often they occur, I think that I would not push for more than the recommended dose.

Regarding the drug's availability in retail pharmacies - not yet... Somebody suggested getting it from the company's rep? I can't imagine why the company would allow such a transaction. Does someone have different info?

Hugs Lillie

[john]

There is a lot of red tape, but it might be possible to get

unapproved drugs

http://www.fda.gov/cder/cancer/access.htm

[Cindy RN]

I did not know that this drug had been used for sclc. Does anyone know more about this??

Cindy

[Elaine]

I think it was approved for colon cancer, but some Drs could go off label (is that the right term) on it--but not sure if Ins companies will pay.

[john]

I did a search on sclc and avastin, bevacizumab, rhuMAb-VEGF and I could

not find any study that has tried avastin on sclc.

You could try contacting Genentech

Elaine is right ... " Avastin is approved for use in combination with intravenous 5-Fluorouracil-based chemotherapy as a treatment for patients with first-line — or previously untreated — metastatic cancer of the colon or rectum. "

[kimblanchard]

I took a peek at Avastin with Google and found a comment that it was being investigated for NSCLC.

Because of quick metastatic seeding by SCLC and its tendency for at least initial response to chemotherapy, they may think that a drug to starve the blood supply of a primary tumor is not the best treatment. The same rational which limits surgical removal of the primary tumor may mitigate against drugs to attack just the primary. It may be too expensive or rare to use on SCLC at this stage of the drug development? Who makes the rules?

Dan

[mhutch1366]

I know someone who has primary peritoneal cancer, who is being given an experimental drug that has been in trials for colon cancer. Could this be it? Apparently peritoneal cancer is a very rare thing. Any info would help.

MaryAnn