Roche, a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, announced that data from 10 of its approved cancer medicines and 10 of its investigational medicines will be presented during the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting from May 29- June 2 in Chicago, United States.

These data demonstrate the strength of Roche’s oncology pipeline, particularly in cancer immunotherapy and personalised medicine.

“We’re particularly excited about our data in different types of advanced lung cancer, including pivotal data for alectinib and results of the first randomised study of our investigational immunotherapy, MPDL3280A,” said Sandra Horning, M.D., Roche’s chief medical officer and head, Global Product Development.

“These results build upon our long-standing commitment to improve outcomes for people with lung cancer, and we hope these data will help us bring new options to treat this devastating disease.”

Updated results from studies of cobimetinib in combination with Zelboraf will be presented during ASCO. Cobimetinib is currently under review with both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency.

Data presented at ASCO for alectinib and Gazyva/Gazyvaro will support submissions for marketing authorisation and for MPDL3280A, Roche is discussing interim data from POPLAR, the large, randomised phase II study with the FDA as part of its breakthrough therapy designation in lung cancer. Preliminary data will also be presented on investigational medicine venetoclax in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and multiple myeloma. The FDA recently granted breakthrough therapy designation to venetoclax for people with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia who have a genetic abnormality known as 17p deletion.


For more than 30 years, Roche and Genentech have been developing medicines with the goal to redefine treatment in oncology. Today, they are working to bring innovative treatment options that help a person’s own immune system fight cancer. Their personalised cancer immunotherapy research and development programme includes more than 20 investigational candidates, seven of which are in clinical trials. All studies include the evaluation of biomarkers to guide their development and help identify the right treatment approach for each patient.

MPDL3280A (anti-PDL1) is their most advanced cancer immunotherapy, with 30 active clinical trials. Nine pivotal trials across certain types of lung, bladder, breast and kidney cancer are underway, with two additional pivotal studies slated to begin later this year.  They have six ongoing phase III studies in lung cancer.

Lung cancer is a major area of focus and investment for Roche and Genentech, and they are committed to developing new approaches, medicines and tests that can help people with this deadly disease. They currently have two approved medicines to treat certain kinds of lung cancer and more than 10 medicines being developed to target the most common genetic drivers of lung cancer or to boost the immune system to combat the disease.

For more than 20 years, Roche and Genentech have been developing medicines with the goal to redefine treatment in hematology. Roche and Genentech’s pipeline of potential hematology medicines includes an antibody-drug conjugate (anti-CD79b; polatuzumab vedotin), a small molecule antagonist of MDM2 (RG7388) and in collaboration with AbbVie, a small molecule BCL-2 inhibitor (GDC-0199/ABT-199; venetoclax). Roche and Genentech’s dedication to developing novel molecules in hematology expands beyond oncology, with the development of the investigational hemophilia A treatment ACE910.

Roche has been leading research into the HER2 pathway for over 30 years and is committed to improving the health, quality of life and survival for patients with both early and advanced HER2-positive disease.

Roche has developed three innovative medicines that have helped transform the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer: Herceptin, Perjeta and Kadcyla. HER2-positive breast cancer is a particularly aggressive form of the disease that affects approximately 20 per cent of patients. Over the past 15 years, the outlook for patients with HER2-positive disease has improved to the extent that patients with the disease treated with these innovative medicines now typically experience better outcomes than those patients with less aggressive HER2-negative disease.

Eligibility for treatment with Roche’s HER2-targeted medicines is determined via a diagnostic test, saving time from the outset by identifying patients who will likely benefit from these medicines at the onset of their disease.

Roche has been studying new treatments for skin cancer for nearly 20 years. In the last five years, we have brought two new medicines to people with potentially disfiguring or deadly skin cancers. Our two first-in-class approved medicines, Erivedge and Zelboraf, have significantly improved treatment options for advanced stages of the most common and most serious skin cancers. Zelboraf was the first targeted oral medicine to be approved with a companion diagnostic. Erivedge is the first hedgehog pathway inhibitor and first medicine ever approved for advanced forms of the most common skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma. Roche is continuing to study Zelboraf, Erivedge and cobimetinib in several cancer types and diseases, with an emphasis on combinations, including investigational medicines, such as immunotherapies.