Anita T. Shaffer

The Food and Drug Administration's calendar for making decisions on new cancer drugs and indications is taking shape for 2015, and the clock is ticking on at least 13 applications for novel agents and new therapeutic settings for existing drugs.

Intensifying the chemotherapy component of a standard regimen containing Avastin reduced the risk of death and increased five-year overall survival in newly diagnosed metastatic colorectal cancer.

Abraxane (nab-paclitaxel) proved markedly more effective than conventional paclitaxel as part of a neoadjuvant regimen for patients with high-risk, early breast cancer, according to results presented at the 2014 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.