Pressure Mounts For Roche On PD-L1 Strategy

Roche spent much of its first quarter conference call answering questions about its PD-L1 antibody strategy, particularly if the drug might be ready for regulatory filing in 2015, earlier than expected, and how it will compete effectively following on the heels of two competitors.

Investors are increasingly anxious about how Roche’s PD-L1 antibody MPDL3280A will compete effectively as the third in the class of immune checkpoint inhibitors to reach the market, as Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.’s Opdivo (nivolumab) and Merck & Co. Inc.’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab) gain momentum in the melanoma market and progress into lung cancer.

Not surprisingly, management spent most of Roche’s first quarter sales and earnings call April 22 responding to questions from analysts...

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