Tecentriq with chemotherapy for first line treatment of adults with ES-SCLC gets FDA approval

Roche has announced it has received FDA approval for Tecentriq (atezolizumab), in combination with carboplatin and etoposide, for the initial treatment of adults with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer on the back of results from the Phase III IMpower133 study. The study showed that the combination of drugs helped patients to achieve a medial overall survival of 12.3 months versus 10.3 months for those patients on just chemotherapy in the intention-to-treat population. Progression-free survival with the combination was 5.2 months versus 4.3 months with chemotherapy alone. Safety for the Tecentriq and chemotherapy combination was consistent with the known safety profile of Tecentriq.

Roche’s Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development, Sandra Horning, said: “Tecentriq is the first cancer immunotherapy approved for the initial treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, which is especially difficult to treat. Until now, there have been limited treatment advances for this disease, and we are excited to bring a potential new standard of care to patients that has been shown to improve survival compared to chemotherapy.”