Dive Brief:
- FDA approved Amgen’s Vectibix (panitumumab) for use in combination therapy with FOLFOX chemotherapy for the treatment of a specific type of colorectal cancer.
- Vectibix is the first biologic that offers significant survival benefits when used as part of combination therapy.
- Overall survival increased by more than 4 months in patients treated with the combination therapy.
Dive Insight:
Amgen’s biologic therapy, Vectibix has been approved as first-line treatment in combination with FOLFOX chemotherapy for the treatment of wild-type KRAS metastatic colon cancer. Phase III studies of the new combination regimen showed statistically significant improvements in both progression-free survival and overall survival. Overall survival increased 4.4 months in patients treated with the Vectibix/FOLFOX combination, compared with standard of care---an outcome that is considered an important breakthrough.