Roche to report cancer drug data at EU congress

Roche will be attending the 2011 European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress this month, where it will present data on a number of its new therapies.

The company will be present at the Stockholm event in order to share important clinical information on drugs such as the breast cancer therapy trastuzumab emtansine, skin cancer agent vismodegib and the multipurpose Avastin.

Phase III data will highlight the benefits of Avastin as a therapy for lung cancer and Zelboraf as a melanoma treatment, while earlier-stage study findings will also be presented on trastuzumab emtansine.

Other presentations that will be made include data from a study into possible biomarkers that could be used to identify patients who would benefit from Avastin treatment.

Dr Hal Barron, chief medical officer and head of global product development at Roche, said: "Our data at this congress demonstrate our long-term commitment to understanding and targeting cancer pathways and personalising medicines."

Earlier this month, the company's product MabThera received a provisional recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence as an advanced follicular lymphoma therapy.