Genentech, OSI say drug combo prolongs survival
Posted on: Monday, 5 June 2006, 13:15 CDT
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A mid-stage trial suggests that a combination of cancer drugs Avastin and Tarceva can prolong survival in patients with advanced lung cancer, compared with chemotherapy alone, drug makers Genentech Inc. and OSI Pharmaceuticals said on Monday
Avastin, made by Genentech, is the first cancer drug designed to work by cutting off blood supply to tumors.
Tarceva, a product of Genentech and OSI, is an oral drug designed to target the human epidermal growth factor receptor pathway, which is critical to cell growth in a number of different cancers.
Genentech's chief medical officer, Hal Barron, said that more research is needed and the companies are now conducting a Phase III trial of the combination therapy as an initial treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
"We are encouraged that these findings support the hypothesis that combining therapies that target different cancer pathways, such as angiogenesis and epidermal growth factor receptor signaling, may improve progression-free survival, possibly without the use of chemotherapy," Barron said in a statement.
Preliminary results from the 120-patient Phase II study showed a median progression-free survival of 4.8 months in the Avastin plus chemotherapy arm, 4.4 months in the Avastin plus Tarceva arm, and 3 months in the chemotherapy-alone arm, the companies said.
The data also suggested that Avastin plus chemotherapy reduced the risk of cancer progression or death by 34 percent compared to chemotherapy alone, and that the Avastin plus Tarceva reduced the risk of cancer progression or death by 28 percent compared to chemotherapy alone.
After six months, the percentage of patients alive in the Avastin plus Tarceva arm was 78 percent, compared with 72 percent in the Avastin plus chemotherapy arm, and 62 percent in the chemotherapy-alone arm.
One-year survival data are not yet mature.
Combination therapy with Avastin plus Tarceva resulted in fewer serious adverse events, compared to either chemotherapy-containing arm, the companies said.
Source: REUTERS
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