Roche to showcase new cancer research at ASCO

Roche has outlined a selection of new cancer research studies it will be presenting at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting next month.

The company is to present around 300 abstracts relating to approved and investigational treatments developed both by Roche and its subsidiary Genentech, relating to more than 30 cancer types.

Among the presentations will be phase III data evaluating vemurafenib among metastatic melanoma patients with mutated BRAF genes, as well as new information on the bestselling Avastin that highlights its benefits as an ovarian cancer therapy.

Further phase III data will be outlined from Eurtac, the first phase III study comparing Roche's drug Tarceva with chemotherapy among Western patients who had not previously been treated for a genetically distinct form of advanced lung cancer.

Dr Hal Barron, chief medical officer and head of global product development at Roche, said: "Our goal is to develop cancer medicines that improve care in a way that is meaningful to patients and their doctors."

Earlier this month, the company applied to the European Medicines Agency and US Food and Drug Administration for regulatory approval of vemurafenib.