Immunogen Inc. (IMGN) said Friday a breast-cancer treatment it
is developing with Roche Holding AG (RHHBY, ROG.VX) improved the
condition of more than half the patients of an early-stage study
when tested with another Roche drug.
The Phase Ib/II trial found 57% of the patients had a confirmed
objective response to the treatment, a way of describing
improvement in the tumor status.
The breast-cancer drug candidate, T-DM1, is being developed by
Immunogen with the Swiss drug maker's unit Genentech. The latest
results tested T-DM1 in 21 patients with metastatic--or
spreading--breast cancer in conjunction with pertuzumab, a
developmental antibody thought to slow tumor growth, also being
developed by Genentech.
T-DM1, which failed to win priority review from U.S. regulators,
is seen as a potential blockbuster. Roche is developing it as a
potential successor for its blockbuster Herceptin, which had 2009
sales of about $5 billion.
Neither Immunogen's shares nor Roche's American depositary
shares were active after the results. Immunogen's stock has climbed
on par with the broader market's growth, while Roche's ADSs have
fallen.
-By Joan E. Solsman, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2291;
joan.solsman@dowjones.com