Roche has submitted a Biologics Licence Application (BLA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for trastuzumab-DM1 (T-DM1) in people with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer who have previously received multiple HER2-targeted medicines and chemotherapies. This submission is based on the results of a Phase II study which showed T-DM1 shrank tumours in one-third of women who had received on average seven prior medicines for advanced HER2-positive breast cancer.

"While we've made great strides in treating HER2-positive breast cancer, there is a group of people whose breast cancer will come back after many treatments, leaving them with very limited options," said Hal Barron, Global Development and chief medical officer. "Data from studies have shown that T-DM1 shrank tumours in these people, so we are excited to have submitted this application to the US FDA in hopes of offering a potential new medicine to people with this type of breast cancer."

T-DM1 is an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), also known as an armed antibody, being studied for advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. T-DM1 attaches trastuzumab and the chemotherapy DM1 together using a stable linker, which is designed to keep T-DM1 in one piece until it reaches specific cancer cells.