Roche shows MabThera can help leukaemia

Roche has announced the results of a phase III study today, revealing MabThera can delay disease progression in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) patients.

MabThera (rituximab), when used in combination with chemotherapy, was shown to improve progression-free survival in adults with relapsed or refractory CLL, compared to chemotherapy alone.

It is the most common form of leukaemia in adults, comprising 25 to 30 per cent of total forms of the disease. It progress rapidly in some patients.

William M Burns, chief executive of the Pharmaceuticals Division of Roche, said the results of the Reach trial "clearly demonstrate the important role MabThera will have in the treatment of this devastating disease".

MabThera – a therapeutic antibody – works by binding to the CD20 antigen on malignant cells’ surfaces and normal B-cells, where it then uses the body’s natural defences to destroy the marked B-cells.

The news may interest those looking for scientific sales jobs, who may also like to know Roche, Genetech and Glycart have entered into a collaboration agreement to develop GlycArt’s GA101 molecule as a cancer treatment.