Increasing Use of Avastin, Erbitux, and Vectibix for Colorectal Cancer Treatment Will Help Offset Generics Erosion of Eloxatin and Elplat

WALTHAM, Mass., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Decision Resources, one of the world's leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that increasing use of Genentech/Roche/Chugai's Avastin and ImClone Systems/Bristol-Myers Squibb/Merck KGaA's Erbitux as well as modest uptake of Amgen's Vectibix for the treatment of colorectal cancer will help to counter the loss of sales caused by the generics erosion of Sanofi-Aventis's Eloxatin and Yakult's Elplat.

According to the new Pharmacor report Colorectal Cancer, overall drug sales to treat the disease will be essentially stagnant through 2016 owing to generics erosion of Eloxatin and Elplat. Sales of drugs to treat colorectal cancer will decrease from $7 billion in 2006 to $6.3 billion in 2016 in the world's major pharmaceutical markets (the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Japan). The report also finds that despite numerous candidates in clinical development, only one drug- AstraZeneca's Recentin-is likely to launch during the next ten years, leaving significant opportunity in this market.

"Oncologists are frustrated that they can only offer treatment that provides a median survival of two years for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer," said Amy Walker, analyst at Decision Resources. "Balancing drug activity, toxicity, convenience, and cost will be a major consideration for emerging therapies aiming to fulfill this need."

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  For more information, contact:
  Elizabeth Marshall
  Decision Resources, Inc.
  781-296-2563
  emarshall@dresources.com