Roche is going to highlight its potential in the domains of immunology, ophthalmology and oncology in an upcomming investor event
Singapore: Roche is going to highlight its most promising treatments in immunology, ophthalmology and oncology, including breast cancer drug Kadcyla and Perjeta, in an upcomming investor event. The world's biggest maker of cancer medicines is also developing so-called 'follow on' medicines to breathe new life into its old cancer products. Moreover, Roche is hoping to highlight its potential beyond cancer at the event.
The success of drugs such as Kadycla and Perjeta, as well as its GA101 follow-on to top-seller Rituxan, are a key test of its ability to fend off competition from cheaper copies known as biosimilars.
Roche will also highlight other compounds in its hematology pipeline, such as antibody conjugates anti-CD22 and anti-CD79b, which are being tested in combination with Rituxan in a head-to-head mid-stage study in patients with non-hodgkin's lymphoma. Also, Roche says it will continue to test MPDL3280A in combination with other therapies and is running early stage studies combining it with Zelboraf in metastatic melanoma and Avastin in solid tumours.
The drugmaker is also making waves in the field of immunotherapy, with researchers calling its experimental MPDL3280A drug a potential 'game changer' in patients with a form of the disease called non-small cell lung cancer.
It expects to start a late-stage trial for etrolizumab in ulcerative colitis and in Crohn's disease in the first half of 2014. The company is also in discussions with health authorities about a late-stage trial for its eye drug lampalizumab in the dry form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) known as geographic atrophy.
