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April 4, 2012 U.S. medical practices bought counterfeit medicine labeled as Altuzan from a foreign supplier, the FDA says. Altuzan, which is the Turkish brand name for the blockbuster drug Avastin, is approved for use in Turkey but not in this country.

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December 29, 2011 Avastin slowed the progression of the cancers a bit, but two studies didn't find the drug improved survival overall. Patients getting Avastin as part of treatment with several medicines had more side effects, including blood clots and high blood pressure, than the people who didn't get it.

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November 18, 2011 After more than a year of deliberations and an unprecedented public hearing in June, the agency has revoked approval of the biotech blockbuster Avastin, a medicine that chokes off the blood supply to various cancer cells, as a treatment for metastatic breast cancer.

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October 13, 2011 A cancer specialist on an expert panel that voted against keeping Avastin's approval for breast cancer intact explained his decision. He couldn't imagine recommending a drug that only limits progression of cancer without lengthening patient's lives or their quality of life.

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June 29, 2011 Genentech failed to persuade a single member of the Food and Drug Administration's panel of cancer experts that its blockbuster drug Avastin should keep the agency's seal of approval for treating advanced breast cancer.

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June 29, 2011 In a controversial 2008 decision, the FDA gave fast-track approval for Avastin for breast cancer treatment based on a single study. Now, after subsequent research proved disappointing, a panel has recommended that the agency revoke approval, angering patients and the drugmaker.

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April 29, 2011 Medicare could save millions if patients with macular degeneration switch to a $50 cancer drug that's just as effective as a $2,000 drug approved for the eye disease. But it was a long haul to get the clinical trial done to prove it.

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