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 A phase Ib study of atezolizumab (MPDL3280A), used in combination
with the BRAF inhibitor Zelboraf for previously untreated BRAFV600
mutation-positive inoperable or metastatic melanoma, showed adverse
events were "manageable and generally reversible", it said.
It showed the combination resulted in an objective response rate of
76 percent of people, including three complete responders.
Roche is banking on atezolizumab to bring in billions in revenue by
2020 as a centre-piece of its strategy to counter the threat of
biosimilar versions of its older medicines with new drugs to fight
cancer.
"These early efficacy results encourage us to further evaluate
combination strategies of atezolizumab and targeted therapies like
Zelboraf in people living with advanced melanoma, a disease which is
still associated with a poor prognosis," Roche head of global
product development Sandra Horning said.
Roche's immune-system boosting atezolizumab, which the company hopes
will win approval for bladder and lung cancer in 2016, is one of its
most anticipated prospects, along with its ocrelizumab medicine for
multiple sclerosis and its ACE-910 investigational treatment for
people with haemophilia.
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They are expected to rake in combined annual sales of $5 billion by
2020, according to Thomson Reuters Cortellis.
(Reporting by Michael Shields; Editing by Mark Potter)
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