Roche announces positive new pertuzumab trial data

Roche has announced positive clinical trial data for a new pertuzumab-based combination therapy for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

The company has reported data from Cleopatra, the first phase III study of a combination of pertuzumab, Herceptin and docetaxel chemotherapy among previously untreated patients, compared to Herceptin and docetaxel alone.

It was found that those receiving the pertuzumab-centred treatment experienced a 38 percent improvement in progression-free survival rates, while overall survival findings also trended in favour of this treatment.

Roche believes that the combination of pertuzumab and Herceptin complement each other by binding to the HER2 receptor on different regions, offering a more robust blockade of HER signalling pathways.

Dr Hal Barron, chief medical officer and head of global product development at Roche, said: "These results show we may soon improve on the current standard of care, Herceptin plus chemotherapy, to further help people with this advanced form of the disease."

The Cleopatra study is one of a number of pertuzumab-oriented studies being presented by Roche at the CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium this week.