Avastin® (Bevacizumab) and Taxol® (Paclitaxel) Improves Progression-Free Survival in Metastatic Breast Cancer (1/7/2008)
Researchers affiliated with the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) reported the final analysis of the E2100 trial in which the addition of Avastin (bevacizumab) to Taxol (paclitaxel) was shown to increase progression-free survival compared to Taxol alone. The details of this study appeared in the December 27, 2007 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Students Report High Level of Exposure to Secondhand Smoke (10/3/2007)
According to an international survey of students between the ages of 13 and 15 years, almost half of the nonsmokers reported that they were exposed to secondhand smoke at home and a similar number reported that they were exposed to secondhand smoke outside of the home. These results were published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Approvable Letter Received for Valstar® (8/28/2007)
An approvable letter from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been received by Indevus Pharmaceuticals, Inc for Valstar.

Ixabepilone Evaluated in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), Bladder Cancer and Prostate Cancer (8/17/2007)
There have been three recent clinical trials evaluating ixabepilone, in NSCLC, bladder cancer and prostate cancer. Ixabepilone is an epothilone B analog that binds to microtubules and results in microtubule stabilization and mitotic arrest. There have been several recent publications demonstrating significant activity for single agent ixabepilone in patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Chemotherapy Underused in Stage III Bladder Cancer (8/1/2007)
Researchers from Cornell University, University of California at San Francisco and the American College of Surgeons have reported that less than 15% of patients with stage III bladder cancer received perioperative chemotherapy in the period from 1998 to 2003. The details of this study appeared in the August, 2007 issue of The Journal of Urology.