BASEL, Switzerland, December 10 /PRNewswire/ --

- Phase II Results Suggest Avastin Can be Used in Curative Setting Date

Experts attending the 30th San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS) December 13-16, will be amongst the first to hear new data that highlight further advances in the treatment of breast cancer with Avastin, Herceptin, pertuzumab and Xeloda.

Data to be presented will show that Avastin may have the potential to be used as a curative treatment following breast cancer surgery. Results from the randomized CHAT study (Xeloda, Herceptin and Taxotere), will show that Xeloda when added to Herceptin and docetaxel offers important survival benefits for women with advanced breast cancer. In addition, data from two new studies will show that patients whose cancer has progressed and who have received Herceptin as part of their first-line therapy benefit from continued treatment with Herceptin.

For pertuzumab, phase II study data will confirm the benefit and good safety profile seen when combining pertuzumab with Herceptin in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide with over 1 million new cases diagnosed every year(1), and more than 400,000 deaths, making(2) it the leading cause of cancer mortality in women. However, while the incidence is increasing, outcomes are improving, with more women now living longer with their disease and many having the possibility of being cured.

At SABCS, Roche will present almost 50 abstracts. Among the highlights will be:

Avastin Phase II feasibility trial incorporating Friday 14 December, bevacizumab into dose dense doxorubicin Poster Session 3, and cyclophosphamide followed by Exhibit Hall B, paclitaxel in patients with lymph node 17.00 - 19.00 positive breast cancer: a trial of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (E2104) Herceptin Trastuzumab treatment beyond progression Saturday 15 in patients with HER-2 positive December, Poster metastatic breast cancer - the TBP study Session 4, Exhibit (GBG 26/BIG 3-05). Hall B, 7.00-9.00 Clinical use of trastuzumab Saturday 15 (Herceptin(R)) in metastatic breast December, Poster cancer (MBC) in Germany from 2001 to 2006 Session 4, Exhibit Hall B, 07.00-09.00 Xeloda Evaluation of trastuzumab, doxetaxel and Friday 14 December, capecitabine as first-line therapy for Poster Discussion HER2-positive locally advanced or Session 3, Ballroom metastatic breast cancer B, 17.00 - 19.00 pertuzumab Safety of pertuzumab plus trastuzumab in Sunday 16 December, a Phase II trial of patients with General Session 7, HER2-overexpressing metastatic breast Exhibit Hall D, cancer which had progressed during 09.00 - 12.00 trastuzumab therapy Presentation: 09.30 - 09.45

2007 has delivered significant improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of various forms of breast cancer. Among the highlights were the European approval of Avastin for up-front use in metastatic breast cancer - the first treatment to offer women with late stage disease the chance to live twice as long without their disease progressing. (3) In addition, the use of Herceptin was widened when it too gained European approval for use in combination with hormonal based treatment for advanced breast cancer(4) because it may reduce the need for mastectomies in women with HER2-positive disease - a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer.(5)

Editor's note

The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium is one of the most significant global cancer meetings bringing together breast cancer researchers and clinicians from around the world every year. In 2007 over 8000 delegates from more than 80 countries are expected to attend. Full details can be found at: http://www.sabcs.org

References

(1) Ferlay J, et al. Globocan 2002: Cancer incidence, mortality and prevalence worldwide, Version 2.0 (IARC, Cancerbase No. 5) Lyon, France, IARC Press, 2004.

(2) Kamangar F, et al. Patterns of cancer incidence, mortality, and prevalence across five continents: defining priorities to reduce cancer disparities in different geographic regions of the world. J Clin Oncol 2006; 24(14): 2137-50.

(3) Miller KD, Wang M, Gralow J et al. E2100 A Randomized Phase III Trial of Paclitaxel versus Paclitaxel plus Bevacizumab as First-Line Therapy for Locally Recurrent or Metastatic Breast Cancer. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2005;94:S6 (Abstract 3)

(4) Kaufman B. Trastuzumab plus anastrozole prolongs progression-free survival in postmenopausal women with HER2 positive, hormone-dependent metastatic breast cancer (MBC). European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress. Abstract no. LBA2 2006.

(5) Baselga J et al. Efficacy of neoadjuvant trastuzumab in patients with inflammatory breast cancer: data from the NOAH (NEOADJUVANT HERCEPTIN) Phase III trial. Abstract 2030. ECCO meeting 2007

Christine McMenamin, Roche, Tel: +41-61-688-2139, Mob: +41-79-618-7671; Anne Cameron, Galliard, Tel: +44(0)207-663-2256, Mob: +44(0)78-416-36-871