Roche’s Avastin cancer drug ‘can be combined with chemotherapy’

Roche has met the primary endpoint of a phase III study on its breast cancer drug Avastin, finding it can be combined with chemotherapies and can extend the life of patients without the disease worsening.

The healthcare group said its Ribbon-1 study discovered the drug increased the period of progression-free survival of women with first-line metastatic HER-2 negative breast cancer when used in combination with either Xeloda (capecitabine) or taxane-based, anthracycline-based chemotherapies, compared to using chemotherapy alone.

William M Burns, chief executive of division at Roche Pharmaceuticals, emphasised the importance of the results for patients and doctors.

"This study proves that patients benefit when Avastin is combined with commonly used chemotherapy which will give physicians more flexibility when selecting the most appropriate course of Avastin-based therapy for their patients," he commented.

People in science sales jobs may also be interested in Roche’s acquisition of Memory Pharmaceuticals. A definitive agreement has recently been signed, the buyer announced yesterday.