Genentech, a biopharmaceutical firm that is part of the Roche Group, will present over 275 abstracts during the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, which is taking place between May 29th and June 2nd in Chicago. Data to be featured includes 10 approved cancer treatments as well as 10 investigational products, including additional results for the investigational medicine cobimetinib in advanced BRAF-mutated melanoma.
Genentech is focused on providing novel therapy for treating cancer, particularly in the fields of immunotherapy and personalized medicine. “These results build upon our long-standing commitment to improve outcomes for people with lung cancer, and we hope these data will help us bring new options to treat this devastating disease,” said in a press release the chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development, Sandra Horning, MD.
Genentech will present data from its phase III study that evaluated the combination of cobimetinib and vemurafenib in patients with advanced BRAF-mutated melanoma, as well as a phase Ib study to assess the drug combination in BRAF-mutant melanoma. For the cobimetinib and vemurafenib combo in advanced BRAF-mutated melanoma, Genentech will address updates on the progression-free survival (PFS) and correlative biomarker analysis, while the phase Ib study is focused on extended follow-up results of the study.
In addition to cobimetinib, Genentech’s portfolio also includes the prescription drug, Zelboraf, which was already approved in the United States as well as over 80 other countries to treat melanoma, particularly in patients with metastasized or inoperable cancer. Over 11,000 people who suffered from BRAF-mutant melanoma were already treated worldwide with Zelboraf, which was developed by both Roche and Plexxikon as part of an agreement established in 2006.
Last January, the company announced it had submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the use of cobimetinib in combination with Zelboraf (vemurafenib) in the treatment of patients with BRAF V600 mutation-positive advanced melanoma. The company presented the results of CoBRIM, an international, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III study that tested the safety and efficacy of 60 mg once daily of cobimetinib in combination with 960 mg twice daily of Zelboraf, compared to 960 mg twice daily of Zelboraf alone.
