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Bevacizumab (Avastin)
Bevacizumab (brand name Avastin, manufactured by Genentech) is an angiogenesis inhibitor, meaning that it inhibits the formation of new blood vessels. Tumors need new blood vessels to grow larger. Therefore, inhibiting angiogenesis is a strategy to stop or slow tumor growth. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody that works by attaching to and inactivating molecules of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) in the bloodstream. [In contrast, some other angiogenesis inhibitors act by inhibiting the tumor cell-surface receptors for VEGF, rather than VEGF itself.]
Bevacizumab is approved by the US FDA for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. The FDA site has several patient-oriented pages about this drug, including answers to common questions and lists of potential side effects.
Imatinib plus bevacizumab: A new trial for GIST patients has been designed to test whether the combination of imatinib (Gleevec) plus bevacizumab (Avastin) will work better to control GIST than imatinib alone. See NCT00324987.
Sunitinib plus bevacizumab. This trial tests the combination of sunitinib (Sutent) plus bevacizumab (Avastin) in solid tumors (not limited to GIST). See NCT00357318.
Sorafenib plus bevacizumab: There is also a trial for solid tumors (not limited to GIST) to test the combination of sorafenib plus bevacizumab. See NCT00098592.
For manufacturer information about this drug see http://www.avastin.com/avastin/home.m
