Following no significant benefits being shown by new trials from the drug Marketing Approval of cancer drug Avastin meant for treating breast cancer might be withdrawn after on Tuesday a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee recommended that the agency should withdraw its marketing approval.

The manufacturer will not be allowed to promote Avastin to fight breast cancer but the drug would continue to be marketed for other kinds of cancer if approval is halted.

According to present reports, with annual sales of about $6 billion, Avastin is the best-selling cancer drug in the world.

In February 2008 an accelerated approval was issued by the agency of the drug for breast cancer. Under this accelerated approval, the drug is quickly approved for treating the life-threatening condition but before this to demonstrate efficacy of the drug the manufacturer of the drug needs to conduct additional clinical trials.

In initial trials Avastin was combined with the breast cancer drug paclitaxel to treat the condition and a clinical trial in which Avastin, known generically as bevacizumab, served as a base of the initial approval.

It was noted that no significant increase was seen in the overall survival. Recent studies could not confirm the initial findings.

"Avastin should continue to be an option for patients with this incurable disease," the drug's manufacturer, Roche subsidiary Genentech, said.