Biologic drug Erbitux (cetuximab) is the first drug to offer a significant extension in survival for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer that was advancing despite treatment with all standard chemotherapies, according to a new study published in the Nov. 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The independent Phase III study, funded by the National Cancer Institute of Canada, involved 572 patients and demonstrated that treating patients with Erbitux improved overall median survival by 32 percent.

The study also showed that patients treated with Erbitux had significantly improved progression free survival and a better quality of life with less deterioration in physical function and global health status scores, according to the researchers.

"Evidence from this trial is extremely encouraging as it shows that Erbitux significantly increases survival and improves quality of life in these heavily pre-treated metastatic colorectal cancer patients," said said lead researcher Dr. Derek J. Jonker of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Center.

"The study demonstrates that Erbitux is a new standard of care for patients for whom all other standard treatment options have failed," he added.

Erbitux is a first-in-class IgG1 monoclonal antibody that specifically targets and binds to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This binding inhibits the activation of the receptor and the subsequent signal-transduction pathway, reducing the invasion of normal tissues by tumor cells and the spread of tumors to new sites.

It is also believed to inhibit the ability of tumor cells to repair the damage caused by chemotherapy and radiotherapy and to inhibit the formation of new blood vessels inside tumors, which appears to lead to an overall suppression of tumor growth.