Genentech Disputes Avastin Data: Report

Philippe Bishop, Genentech's head of clinical development for Avastin, said the results of Wu's analysis might have been skewed by a number of factors, including the different methods of reporting data in each of the 15 trials. But Bishop acknowledged that studies in general have found an incidence of venous clots averaging about two to three percentage points higher among those on Avastin compared with control groups, the Chronicle reports.

Such information is included in Avastin's label, he said. What Bishop disputes is that the data reveal a statistically significant difference in risk of 33%. No change in the drug's label is needed, he said, according to the newspaper.