Cancer Meeting Brings Avastin Data, Lung Cancer Insights
28 May 2009 - 4:11AM
Dow Jones News
Thousands of cancer doctors - and a good number of investors -
will converge in Orlando this weekend to discuss the latest
developments in cancer treatment, and the impacts on drug makers
like Roche Holding AG (RHHBY), Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) and OSI
Pharmaceuticals Inc. (OSIP).
The annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology,
running Friday to Tuesday, follows a data deluge of more than 4,000
cancer studies released two weeks ago. Some of that data will be
further detailed, while the most notable studies have been withheld
as "late breakers" that will be orally presented by
researchers.
Those notable studies will highlight advances in earlier
treatments for lung cancer and new research in gastrointestinal
cancer at a time when healthcare reform looms over drug makers and
the high cost of cancer treatments is becoming an increasingly hot
topic.
The meeting also brings the long-awaited data for Avastin, made
by Roche's Genentech unit, in its use in the so-called adjuvant
setting, when it is used to prevent relapse following surgery in
colorectal cancer.
Although the study failed to reach its main goal, as announced
in April, adjuvant usage of Avastin in many cancer area remains the
key long-term growth driver for the drug.
Furthermore, the Avastin adjuvant data may provide some insight
for Roche investors who worry the Swiss drug maker overpaid in its
$46.8 billion Genentech buyout in April. Roche has played down the
role of the trial in the deal, but it rushed to complete the deal
before the cooperative conducting the trial released the data.
Since the deal, the data is less crucial for U.S. investors, but
observers will be looking to see the drug's level of activity in
the patients to gauge its possible success in other trials or as an
earlier treatment for longer periods of time in advanced
patients.
Avastin, already approved to treat advanced breast, lung, brain
and colorectal cancer, had 2008 U.S. sales of $2.69 billion.
Also, the degree of effectiveness could provide insights into
drugs that act on similar targets to Avastin, such as Pfizer Inc.'s
(PFE) Sutent and Nexavar, sold by Onyx Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ONXX)
and Bayer AG (BAYRY).
Genentech and Roche also will get attention for key data coming
on Tarceva, sold with OSI Pharmaceuticals, as a treatment for
advanced lung cancer and pancreatic cancer.
The drug, along with Lilly's Alimta, is being tested for use as
maintenance therapy in lung cancer - when it is given after
chemotherapy but before new tumor growth.
In the earlier ASCO data release, a Tarceva study called Saturn
showed it prolonged progression-free survival, or PFS, but the
median measure of that benefit was only one week.
Although those results were largely disappointing, Wall Street
has high expectations for the Atlas study, which uses Tarceva in
conjunction with Avastin as a maintenance therapy. Notably, the
trial was halted early because of its effectiveness.
Tarceva had 2008 U.S. sales of $457 million and worldwide sales
of $1.12 billion. Earlier this month, OSI Chief Executive Colin
Goddard projected Tarceva's maintenance use adding more than $500
million to annual U.S. sales after its projected label expansion in
2010.
Alimta, Lilly's drug, showed a PFS benefit of two months at last
year's ASCO as a maintenance therapy in lung cancer, but this year
it will provide data on overall survival, the ultimate measure of
benefit in lung cancer.
Other key data expected to be presented include a late-stage
study that shows Genentech's Herceptin, a drug approved to treat a
certain type of breast cancer, is effective in treating gastric
cancer. The magnitude of the effect won't be known until the
meeting, but could eventually provide another market for Herceptin,
which had 2008 U.S. sales of $1.4 billion.
Another pair of studies examines the recurrence risk in breast
cancer patients using tamoxifen, a form of chemotherapy, along with
a certain class of antidepressants that are used to reduce hot
flashes.
-Thomas Gryta; Dow Jones Newswires; 201-938-2053;
thomas.gryta@dowjones.com