LONDON--24 May--PRNewswire - AsiaNet/InfoQuest - Life-Extending Drug Offers New Hope to Women With Aggressive Form of Breast Cancer Across Europe Roche today announced that the European Commission has approved Herceptin (trastuzumab) for patients with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer following surgery and standard chemotherapy. HER2-positive breast cancer, which affects approximately 20% to 30%(i) of women with breast cancer, demands special and immediate attention because the tumors are fast-growing and there is a higher likelihood of relapse. The approval is based on impressive results from the international HERA (HERceptin Adjuvant) study which showed Herceptin following standard chemotherapy significantly reduces the risk of cancer coming back by 46% compared to chemotherapy alone.(ii) Similarly remarkable benefits have also been seen in three other major global and US studies.(iii) "The remarkably quick manner in which Herceptin has received European approval in early-stage breast cancer is commendable," commented William M. Burns, CEO of Roche's Pharmaceuticals Division. "Herceptin has clearly demonstrated that it provides the best chance of long-term survival when used as early as possible in the course of the disease, and this decision is greatnews for patients and the medical community. We will now work with national authorities to ensure that this treatment is accessible to physicians and patients throughout Europe." Herceptin was previously approved in the EU for the treatment of metastatic (advanced) HER2-positive breast cancer, so this new approval allows women with all stages of this aggressive disease, including early-stage breast cancer, to access this life-extending treatment option. The strength of results from four large trials with over 12,000 patients has influenced medical and regulatory organizations around the world to act urgently to ensure access to Herceptin for early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer patients. Herceptin was recently granted approval status in New Zealand and Australia, and several countries over the past year have developed clinical guidelines and committed funding to allow eligible patients faster access, prior to license. In the US, Genentech filed a supplemental Biologic License Application (sBLA) for the use of Herceptin in early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on February 15th, 2006. The application is based on data from the combined interim analysis of two large US trials,(iv) and Genentech has received a priority review designation. About the HERA study HERA, conducted by the Roche and Breast International Group (BIG),(v) is one of the largest adjuvant studies ever carried out among breast cancer patients; enrolment to the trial began in December 2001, and nearly 5,100 HER2-positive patients were enrolled at 480 sites in 39 countries across the world. HERA is a randomized trial, which, following standard adjuvant systemicchemotherapy and radiotherapy (if applicable), evaluates observation versus Herceptin every three weeks for 12 months or 24 months in women with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer. The HERA study allowed for the use of a wide range of chemotherapy regimens, and both lymph node-positive and lymph node-negative patients were eligible for entry into the trial. According to the interim analysis, the primary efficacy endpoint was met, showing that in the 12-month arm, patients who received Herceptin had a statistically significant improvement in disease-free survival (the length of time after treatment during which no disease is found). At a median follow-up of one year, the secondary endpoint of overall survival had not reached statistical significance, but showed a clear trend towards an improvement in overall survival, which is to be confirmed as the data mature. The interim analysis compared Herceptin versus observation and did not include a comparison of 12 months versus 24 months treatment duration. The trial will continue to assess this comparison and data will become available in due time as the study matures. The HERA study has an external Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) that regularly reviews safety data. No safety concerns were raised by the IDMC, and the incidence of congestive heart failure was very low (0.5% in the Herceptin arms vs. 0% in the observation arm). Patients in this study will continue to be followed for any side effects. About breast cancer and Herceptin Eight to nine per cent of women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, making it one of the most common types of cancer in women.(vi) Each year more than one million new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed worldwide, with a death rate of nearly 400,000 people per year. In HER2-positive breast cancer, increased quantities of the HER2 protein are present on the surface of the tumor cells. This is known as 'HER2 positivity.' High levels of HER2 are present in a particularly aggressive form of the disease which responds poorly to chemotherapy. Research shows that HER2-positivity affects approximately 20-30% of women with breast cancer. Herceptin is a humanized antibody, designed to target and block the function of HER2, a protein produced by a specific gene with cancer-causing potential. In addition to its efficacy in the early-stage breast cancer setting, Herceptin also has demonstrated improved survival in the advanced (metastatic) setting, where its addition to chemotherapy allows patients tolive up to one-third longer than chemotherapy alone.(vii) Herceptin received approval in the European Union in 2000 for use in patients with metastatc breast cancer, whose tumors overexpress the HER2 protein. In addition to being indicated for use in combination with docetaxel as a first-line therapy in HER2-positive patients who have not received chemotherapy for their metastatic (advanced) disease, it is also indicated as a first-line therapy in combination with paclitaxel where anthracyclines are unsuitable, and as a single agent in third-line therapy. Herceptin is marketed in the United States by Genentech, in Japan by Chugai and internationally by Roche. Since 1998, Herceptin has been used to treat over 230,000 HER2-positive breast cancer patients worldwide. About Roche Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As a supplier of innovative products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is a world leader in diagnostics, the leading supplier of medicines for cancer and transplantation and a market leader in virology. In 2005 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totaled 27.3 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 8.2 billion Swiss francs. Roche employs roughly 70,000 people in 150 countries and has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai. Additional information about the Roche Group is available on the Internet ( http://www.roche.com ). All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are legally protected. Additional information: - About Genentech: http://www.gene.com - Roche in Oncology: http://www.roche.com/pages/downloads/company/pdf/mboncology05e_b.pdf - Roche Health Kiosk on cancer: http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_krebs - Video clips (in broadcast standard, free of charge): http://www.thenewsmarket.com References: (i) Harries M, Smith I. The development and clinical use of trastuzumab (Herceptin). Endocr Relat Cancer 9: 75-85, 2002. (ii) Piccart-Gebhart M, Procter M, Leyland-Jones B, et al. A Randomized Trial of Trastuzumab Following Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Women with HER2 Positive Breast Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine 353:16 2005. (iii) NCCTG N9831 (US), NSABP B-31 (US), BCIRG 006 (international) (iv) Romond, E., Perez, E. et al. Trastuzumab plus Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Operable HER2 Positive Breast Cancer. New England Journal of Medicine 353:16 2005. (v) Collaborative partners for the HERA study include: Roche, BIG and its affiliated collaborative groups, plus non-affiliated collaborative groups, and independent sites. (vi) World Health Organization, 2000. (vii) Extra JM, Cognetti F, Maraninchi D et al. Long-term survival demonstrated with trastuzumab plus docetaxel: 24-month data from a randomized trial (M77001) in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. Abstract #555, American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting 2005. SOURCE: Roche CONTACT: Roche Group Media Office: +41-61-688-8888 [email protected] , Baschi Durr Alexander Klauser, Daniel Piller - Head of Roche Group Media Office, Katja Prowald - Head of R&D Communications, Martina Rupp Web site: http://www.roche.com http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_krebs http://www.gene.com http://www.thenewsmarket.com --Distributed by AsiaNet ( www.asianetnews.net )--