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Roche drug ''prolongs cancer patients'' lives''

18 Mar 2009

Adding Herceptin (trastuzumab) to standard chemotherapy "significantly" increases the life expectancy of patients suffering from HER2-positive stomach (gastric) cancer, it has been asserted.

Roche''s comments are based on the results of ToGA, an international phase III trial which involved more than 3,800 participants. More data will be presented at an upcoming medical exhibition, the company states.

Professor Eric Van Cutsem from University Hospital Gasthuisberg in Leuven, Belgium, was the lead investigator in the study.

He explains: "Based on the clear positive outcome from this clinical study, the addition of Herceptin to chemotherapy offers a new important option for patients with HER2-positive stomach cancer."

Stomach cancer is the second commonest cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. More than 900,000 new cases are reported every year.

In recent days, Roche acquired Innovatis, a privately-held firm based in Bielefeld, Germany, which it described as a "leading provider" of automated cell analysis solutions.