US-based drugmaker Amgen has received approval from the European Commission (EC) for its Vectibix (panitumumab) as first-line treatment in combination with Folfiri to treat adult patients with wild-type (WT) RAS metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).
Folfiri is an irinotecan-based chemotherapy regimen, which is often used in first-line colorectal cancer treatment in Europe.
Amgen global development senior vice-president Dr Elliott Levy said: "Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in Europe, and additional treatment options are important for patients and for physicians treating this serious disease.
"The European Commission approval of Vectibix as a first-line treatment in combination with Folfiri chemotherapy means physicians have another treatment option for adult patients with wild-type RAS metastatic colorectal cancer."
The approval was based on studies that assessed Vectibix plus Folfiri in the first-line setting.
Vectibix currently received EC approval as first-line treatment in combination with Folfox or Folfiri to treat adult patients with WT RAS mCRC and as second-line treatment in combination with Folfiri for patients who have received first-line fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy (excluding irinotecan).
In addition, it has been approved as monotherapy after failure of fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin and irinotecan-containing chemotherapy regimens.
According to Amgen, Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer across the globe, with 1.2 million cases expected to occur each year.
In February this year, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) accepted Amgen’s marketing authorisation application (MAA) for Kyprolis (carfilzomib) for Injection to treat patients with relapsed multiple myeloma who received at least one prior therapy.
Image: One of the many buildings at Amgen headquarters in Thousand Oaks, California. Photo: courtesy of Coolcaesar.
