Biocon and HCG group of hospitals have inked a partnership to conduct a study to evaluate the potential benefits of BIOMAb EGFR in cervical cancer patients.

BIOMAb EGFR is Biocon’s humanized monoclonal antibody which is approved for the treatment of head and neck cancers in India. But the drug is being studied globally for various indications like Glioma, NSCLC, Pancreatic cancer, Gastric cancer, Cervical cancer, in addition to head and neck cancers.

“This partnership is in light of the unmet need for an effective treatment option for the large number of cervical cancer patients in our country. We see this collaborative model of Biocon’s monoclonal antibodies (MAb) and HCG’s state of the art facilities as a big step towards developing India as a global destination for translational research and cutting edge clinical trials.” said Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, MD, Biocon Ltd.

The study is headed by eminent oncologists, involving Indian patients is being initiated with this molecule. The results will clearly be of huge relevance to the Indian subcontinent where cervical cancer is a true unmet need. Studies with BIOMAb EGFR in NSCLC and Glioma are currently ongoing in India, she added.

The study will be conducted for six years in various centers of HCG across the country, involving many eminent oncologists and will be in compliance to ICH-GCP guidelines. The participating centers are Bangalore, Mysore, Vijayavada, Ranchi, Cuttack and Nashik.

According to Dr Ajai Kumar, chairman and CEO, HCG group of hospitals this study will be conducted in a well controlled manner specifically keeping in mind the needs of the Indian patients which vary considerably from those of the West. Most treatment for this disease is currently based on data obtained from the western world. We chose BIOMAb EGFR taking into account the safety profile this molecule has displayed in addition to results obtained in the other studies with this drug.”

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in India and is the primary cause of cancer-related deaths in developing countries. To an estimated annual global incidence of 500,000 cervical cancers, India contributes 100,000, which is 1/5 of the world burden. Cervical cancer is responsible for more than 280,000 deaths annually worldwide. In India the number of deaths due to cervical cancer is estimated to rise to 79,000 by the year 2010. The cancer mostly affects middle-aged women (between 40 and 55 years), especially those from the lower economic status. Chemo radiotherapy has been shown in several studies to be more effective in terms of overall survival and local control, than radiation therapy alone in the treatment of women with locally advanced carcinoma of the cervix. But still the 2 year progression free survival is around 67 per cent and there is a need for further improvement.

In 2004, Biocon launched India's first indigenously produced monoclonal antibody BIOMAb-EGFR.

HCG is now South Asia’s largest cancer care network of 17 centers. These are Bangalore Institute of Oncology, Bangalore,Bangalore Institute of Oncology Specialty Centre, Bangalore,Malnad Hospital & Institute Of Oncology, Shimoga, Karnataka,Bharat Hospital & Institute Of Oncology, Mysore,Gokula Curie Centre Of Oncology, Bangalore,M.S. Ramaiah Memorial & Hospital,Curie Centre of Oncology, Bangalore,Panda Curie Cancer Hospital, Cuttack, Orissa,Curie Manavata Cancer Centre, Nashik, Maharashtra andCurie-Abdur Razzaque Ansari Cancer Institute, Ranchi, Jharkhand.