OSI Pharmaceuticals, Genentech announce results of Tarceva trial

MELVILLE, N.Y. A drug used to treat non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancers extended the survival of patients with advanced NSCLC taking it immediately after chemotherapy, according to results of a late-stage clinical study.

OSI Pharmaceuticals and Genentech announced the results of a phase 3 trial of Tarceva (erlotinib), which they will present at the 13th World Congress on Lung Cancer, on Aug. 4 in San Francisco.

“This study has now not only confirmed that immediate treatment of Tarceva after initial chemotherapy delayed the progression of disease, but also importantly helped patients in the study live longer,” principal investigator Federico Cappuzzo of the Instituto Clinico Humanitas IRCCS in Milan, Italy, said. “This is good news for doctors and their patients, since advanced lung cancer is one of the most challenging cancers to treat and is often associated with a very short life expectancy.”