Key results from a colon cancer study of Genentech’s Avastin (bevacizumab) could be available in April, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Genentech previously said results would be available mid-year. The drug is currently approved to treat breast and lung cancer, and it’s a first- and second-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer. This study by the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project and sponsored by the National Cancer Institute focuses on Avastin’s treatment of patients who have had colon cancer surgery.

The trial results will likely have an impact on the company’s financial picture. Genentech last Thursday released its fourth-quarter and year-end results for 2008, reporting a 47% rise in fourth-quarter earnings. Arthur D. Levinson, PhD, Genentech’s chairman and CEO, said the company was happy with “another year of solid financial growth.” Levinson also said that the company has the potential to receive four FDA approvals and plans to file more than 10 regulatory applications in 2009.

But some are disappointed in the company’s earnings outlook and are concerned about its slowing sales growth. According to an AP report, Avastin sales are rising but the growth is slower than expected.

Investors continue to wait for news about Roche’s takeover attempts of the company. In July, Genentech rejected Roche’s $43.7 billion offer, or $89 per share, as too low. Analysts predicted last fall that Roche could up the bid to as much as $100 per share, but these days the estimate falls near the $95 mark. Bloomberg reports that last Monday, Roche CFO Erich Hunziker said in a speech at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco that the deal to acquire Genentech was “on track.” He wouldn’t comment on the possibility of a raised bid, but he reportedly said, “Let the independent directors of Genentech do their job. Everything is going as planned.”