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Genentech GlaxoSmithKline's breast cancer pill Tykerb could be earlier treatment - study


LONDON (AFX) - Researchers who carried out the phase III trial of
GlaxoSmithKline PLC's breast cancer drug Tykerb believe the pill should be
evaluated as an earlier treatment of the disease.
Glaxo is waiting for approval of Tykerb in both the US and Europe. It
applied for a licence to market the drug as a treatment for HER2 positive
advanced breast cancer -- cancer that has spread to other parts of the body --
in combination with chemotherapy agent Xeloda, in women who have already been
given, and are not responding to, Herceptin.
Herceptin, made by Genentech Inc and Roche Holding AG, is a key component in
the treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer. It is an aggressive form of the
disease, and carries a greater risk of progression and death.
Some cancers become resistant to Herceptin, and spread to the brain, where
the drug is ineffective. Because Tykerb works differently to Herceptin, and is a
smaller molecule, it could prove to an effective additional drug to fight the
cancer.
The phase III registration trial of Tykerb was ended early by a safety
review board because initial results were positive, and it was decided that all
women should be given the combination treatment.
The data was published earlier this year, and the researchers published
their full report for the first time today in the New England Journal of
Medicine.
They concluded that the data supports the use of Tykerb and Xeloda in women
with advanced HER2 breast cancer that have failed on other therapies, including
Herceptin.
They added that the findings warrant studies of the drug's effectiveness
earlier in the treatment of the HER2 version of the disease.
amy.brown@afxnews.com
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