Roche’s lung cancer combination drug shows significant survival benefit

The Phase III IMpower150 study has achieved its co-primary endpoint of overall survival (OS) at the interim analysis and demonstrated that combined lung cancer treatment helped people with advanced non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) live significantly longer compared with Avastin plus carboplatin and paclitaxel.

At the interim analysis, the study showed that replacing Avastin with Tecentriq in the combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel did not demonstrate a statistically significant OS benefit in people with advanced NSCLC compared with a combination of Avastin plus carboplatin and paclitaxel.

IMpower150 is a multicenter, open-label, randomized and controlled phase III trial designed to assess the efficacy and safety of Tecentriq in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel with or without Avastin in people with stage IV non-squamous NSCLC who had not been treated with chemotherapy for their advanced disease.

The company has recruited 1,202 patients in trial and excluded patients with ALK and EGFR mutations from the primary intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis.

According to the company, the co-primary endpoints were the progression-free survival (PFS) and OS and the co-primary OS endpoint in IMpower150 was evaluated in all randomized people without an ALK or EGFR genetic mutation.

Tecentriq is a monoclonal antibody designed to bind with a protein known as PD-L1 expressed on tumour cells and tumour-infiltrating immune cells, helping to block interactions with both PD-1 and B7.1 receptors.

Tecentriq is believed to activate T cells by inhibiting PD-L1. Avastin is a biologic cancer treatment approved in combination with chemotherapy for the first-line treatment of advanced NSCLC.

Tecentriq and Avastin regimen is expected to enhance the potential of the immune system to fight a range of cancers, including first-line advanced NSCLC.

Roche chief medical officer and global product development head Dr Sandra Horning said: “These results add to the growing body of evidence supporting the role of combining TECENTRIQ with Avastin. We will submit these additional data to global health authorities and hope to bring this potential treatment option to patients as soon as possible.”

Image: Site Roche Basel. Photo: courtesy of F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.