Roche gets nod for skin cancer drug
PHARMACEUTICALS giant Roche said yesterday that the European Union had approved Zelboraf, which represents a new treatment option for patients with the deadliest form of skin cancer.
The go-ahead, expected by investors after Roche flagged it as recently as December, follows one in the United States last August.
The new drug is given as a twice-daily pill and is designed to be used alongside a companion diagnostic test, also from Roche, that identifies which patients have a specific genetic mutation that means they will benefit from the treatment.
The gene sequencing technology, which Roche is targeting with a bid for San Diego-based Illumina, is central to medicine’s future as it allows researchers to better predict how patients will respond to a drug.
Coupled with strong study results from experimental breast cancer treatment pertuzumab, Zelboraf underscores Roche’s commitment to targeted medicines.
Roche said: “Approval is important as Zelboraf significantly improves patient survival and exemplifies the benefits that Roche’s personalised approach to medicine can provide for patients, physicians and society.”
As well as the USA and the EU, Zelboraf has also recently been approved in Switzerland, Brazil, Israel, Canada and New Zealand. Australia is considering approval.