AMGEN has just announced that Vectibix, a new drug in the treatment of advanced bowel cancer, is being made available in Ireland.

The treatment which was licensed by the European Commission in December 2007, provides a new treatment option for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Studies show that it doubles median progression-free survival in refractory metastatic colorectal carcinoma patients with non-mutated KRAS compared to patients receiving Best Supportive Care (BSC) alone. They also show that at two months patients treated with Vectibix and BSC were three times less likely to have cancer progression compared to BSC alone and at six months patients treated with Vectibix and BSC were approximately four times less likely to have cancer progression compared to BSC alone.

Dr Seamus O'Reilly, Consultant Medical Oncologist at Cork University Hospital welcomed the news. "The availability of Vectibix represents an important advance in the management of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The associated development of predictive testing to refine who will benefit most from therapy is a significant step in the development of personalised cancer therapy. Clinically, I have been impressed with the tolerability and efficacy of this agent in patients with advanced colorectal cancer," he said.

Liz Tobin , Cancer Information Services Nurse, Irish Cancer Society also welcomed the news. "In 2005 approximately 50% of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer in Ireland were at stage 3 and 4 disease 2 with very poor survival rates. The Irish Cancer Society therefore welcomes the availability of Vectibix (panitumumab), for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer," she said.

Excluding all forms of skin cancer, bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in Ireland after breast cancer. In their lifetimes, Irish men have a one in 25 chance of developing bowel cancer and Irish women a chance of one in 23.2.

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