U.S. health advisers unanimously rejected use of the drug Avastin for breast cancer, dealing a blow to its manufacturer and patients who insisted that the medicine saved their lives. Advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration agreed that the Roche Holding AG drug was not safe or clinically beneficial, based on several years of follow-up trials. Their vote endorsed an FDA move in December to revoke its approval for Avastin in breast cancer. FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg is due to make a final decision later.
