Roche notes effectiveness of Xeloda as colon cancer treatment

Roche has announced the results of an international phase III trial into the efficacy of Xeloda in combination with intravenous oxaliplatin (Xelox) as a treatment for early colon cancer.

The company noted that the study met its primary endpoint of increasing the length of the period of time that patients live without the disease in comparison to the commonly-used chemotherapy treatment 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin (5-FU/LV).

In a statement, Roche said that the trial data show that Xelox is superior to 5-FU/LV in terms of the timeframe that patients are able to live without their cancer being detectable.

William Burns, chief executive of Roche’s pharmaceuticals division, said that while Xeloda has already been approved for the management of early-stage colon cancer as monotherapy, the study results mean doctors will be able to offer it as part of a combination.

“This is an important development for patients as colon cancer – if caught early enough – can be cured, so physicians need a wide range of treatment options,” he added.

In recent days, Roche announced that its phase III Saturn study showed that Tarceva improves overall survival when used straight after initial chemotherapy in people with advanced lung cancer.