EU approval of Tecentriq and Avastin together with chemo for the first-line treatment of metastatic non-squamous NSCLC is a positive advance for Roche, but analysts say the combo has a long way to go still to catch up with Merck & Co’s Keytruda combination.
Roche's anti-PD-L1 Tecentriq (atezolizumab) was approved on March 8 by the European Commission for use with the company's VEGF inhibitor Avastin (bevacizumab) and chemotherapy for first-line, metastatic non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including in patients with EGFR and ALK mutations, giving the combination a labeling edge in Europe compared with the one it has in the US.
Still, analysts say the Roche combo's prospects in NSCLC remain behind that of Merck & Co. Inc
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The company plans to expand manufacturing of the HER2-targeting ADC beyond China and plans to file for US FDA approval in 2025.
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