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Bristol-Myers, ImClone, Genentech Release Promising Data at ASCO

Half-truth is bad. It is more bad than lies. But this is exactly what Jason Napodano provides his readers.

Yes indeed, in general ITT [intend to treat] patient population adding Erbitux to chemotherapy extended the overall survival rate to 11.3 months from the 10.1 months for chemotherapy alone.

But this is not the entire story. Flex trial patients population included substantially broader spectrum of patients than the Avastin trial Jason Napodano has mentioned.

So let compare apples with apples:

- the Avastin trial #E4599 was conducted exclusively in Adeno-ca lung cancer patients. Addition of Avastin to chemotherapy improved median survival rates from 10.3 months to 12.3 months. Furthermore, cancer patients in Avastin #E4599 trials were ECOG 0-1 [relatively "healthy" patients] compare with more sick FLEX patients with ECOG 0-2.

In these more sick Adeno-ca lung cancer patients, addition of Erbitux to chemotherapy improved median survival from 10.2 months to 12 months. FLEX Erbitux median survival benefits to more difficult to treat lung cancer patients were practically identical to Avastin.

- But it is not all. FLEX ITT patient population also included SCC- lung cancer patients. These cancer patients can NOT be treated by Avastin due to severe life-threatening side-effects. In this lung cancer population, addition of Erbitux to chemotherapy improved median survival from 8.9 months to 10.2 months.

- It is true, Erbitux did not work on Asian patients. Addition of Erbitux to chemotherapy reduced these patients median survival. Erbutux should not be used in Asian lung-cancer patients.

- Avastin and Erbitux belong to two different classes of drugs. Erbitux is a EGFr-drug. It offers substantial clinical benefits to only a select group of patients and no benefits to the rest. By identifying Erbitux-responding patients [like it is done using biomarkers in colorectal cancers], survival benefits offered by Erbitux are much superior to Avastin benefits.

- Finally, the latest Avastin clinical trials in lung cancer failed to show survival benefits. Consequently, effictiviness of Avastin in lung-cancer became an issue.