Avastin and pemetrexed combination gives lung cancer patients significantly more time without their disease progressing

New Roche study in non-small cell lung cancer confirms importance of maintenance treatment

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced that AVAPERL, a phase III study evaluating the combination of Avastin® (bevacizumab) and chemotherapy for patients with previously untreated, advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) met its primary endpoint, giving lung cancer patients significantly more time without their disease progressing. The results will be presented for the first time today at the European Multidisciplinary Cancer Congress in Stockholm.

In AVAPERL, previously untreated NSCLC patients were given four cycles of Avastin, pemetrexed and cisplatin. Those patients whose disease was controlled (i.e. did not progress) continued treatment with Avastin and pemetrexed and lived for a median of 10.2 months without their disease getting worse (progression-free survival; PFS). In the control arm, those patients who continued Avastin alone demonstrated a median PFS of 6.6 months (HR=0.50; p>0.001). No new safety events were observed and adverse events in AVAPERL were consistent with those observed in previous Avastin and pemetrexed clinical trials.