following a full submission
bevacizumab (Avastin®) is not recommended for use within NHS Scotland.
Indication under review: bevacizumab in combination with capecitabine is indicated for first-line treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer in whom treatment with other chemotherapy options including taxanes or anthracyclines is not considered appropriate.
In a double-blind, multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled phase III study in patients with locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer, treatment with bevacizumab plus capecitabine was associated with an extended median progression-free survival of 2.9 months compared with capecitabine monotherapy. However, there was no overall significant improvement in survival.
The submitting company did not present a sufficiently robust economic analysis and, in addition, their justification of the treatment’s cost in relation to its health benefits was not sufficient to gain acceptance by the SMC.
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Medicine details
- Medicine name:
- bevacizumab (Avastin)
- SMC ID:
- 778/12
- Indication:
- bevacizumab in combination with capecitabine is indicated for first-line treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer in whom treatment with other chemotherapy options including taxanes or anthracyclines is not considered appropriate.
- Pharmaceutical company
- Roche
- BNF chapter
- Malignant disease and immunosuppression
- Submission type
- Full
- Status
- Not recommended
- Date advice published
- 14 May 2012