Roche provided an overview of results from studies that further the company's approach to developing targeted medicines for people with cancer, a diagnosis that will affect more than one in three people during their lifetime. Results from studies involving the company's approved and investigational treatments will be presented during the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) taking place May 29 through June 2 in Orlando, USA.
Positive phase-III results for Herceptin in advanced HER2-positive stomach cancer and encouraging phase-II data in metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer with the novel treatment trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1) that uses the Herceptin antibody to deliver a specialised cancer cell-killing agent to tumour cells.
Positive phase-III studies of Avastin and Tarceva as first-line maintenance treatments in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including important information about biomarkers in lung cancer.
Full results on the first phase-III study (C-08). Personalising cancer treatment: encouraging early data for Roche's targeted BRAF inhibitor in malignant melanoma. Combined Roche and Genentech oncology pipeline: includes 27 investigational agents in clinical studies.
William M Burns, CEO of Roche's Pharmaceuticals Division, "We are presenting strong data for our targeted medicines for difficult-to-treat cancers including inoperable stomach cancer, lung cancer and melanoma. Data on Herceptin will show that it is a very effective treatment in patients with HER2-positive gastric cancer where current therapies are associated with poor survival and toxicity." Burns added, "We will also show very encouraging early data on a new, highly selective drug for malignant melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer for which there are few treatments and no established standard of care."
Two pivotal phase-III studies will show that effective maintenance treatment can help lung cancer patients continue to fight their disease without the need for continued chemotherapy, potentially creating a new treatment strategy in lung cancer. The first of the studies (SATURN) demonstrates the benefits of the targeted agent Tarceva (erlotinib) in helping patients with NSCLC live longer without their disease progressing when given after chemotherapy. The second study (ATLAS) will highlight efficacy data in patients treated with Avastin (bevacizumab) followed by combined maintenance treatment with Avastin and Tarceva.