Roche to present oncology data

Roche has announced it is to present data showing its progress in developing treatments for brain, gastric and lung cancers at the upcoming annual meeting for the European Society for Medical Oncology opening in Stockholm this Friday.

The company will present over 100 abstracts at the event, which will include data on a number of compounds, including Avastin (bevacizumab), Herceptin (trastuzumab), Tarceva (erlotinib), Xeloda (capecitabine).

Roche will also be presenting data on pertuzumab, its new breast cancer drug which is currently undergoing phase III clinical trials and its pipeline drug IGF-1R currently in the early stages of clinical development.

Key data to be published at the event include the final results of the Avail study of Avastin as a first-line treatment for non-small cell lung cancer, data on Xeloda as a treatment for advanced stomach cancer, analysis of the GBG26 study of the continuation of Herceptin in advanced breast cancer and phase II data on Avastin in glioblastoma.

William M Burns, chief executive officer of the pharmaceuticals division of Roche, said: “The results of these studies will be welcome news for patients, their families and the oncology community who currently have few options for treating debilitating cancers like stomach, lung and brain cancer”

He added the company would continue to invest in research of a wide range of cancers, including those with high levels of unmet need.

Earlier this month, Roche announced the resignation of Rolf Schlapfer as head of corporate communications at the firm, with his successor to be named in due course.