31.05.2008 – 15:03

Roche Pharmaceuticals

Patients With Pancreatic Cancer can Benefit From Avastin(R) Plus Tarceva(R)

Basel, Switzerland (ots/PRNewswire)

• Results Confirm Previously Demonstrated Survival Advantages of Tarceva in This Difficult-to-Treat Disease
• ABSTRACT No: 4507

Adding Avastin (bevacizumab) to a combination of Tarceva
(erlotinib) and chemotherapy significantly improves the time patients
with metastatic pancreatic cancer live without their disease getting
worse ("progression free survival"). These data, presented for the
first time today at the 44th annual meeting of the American Society
of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago, also showed a trend towards
extending life expectancy.

Pancreatic cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer death in
Europe(1) and is extremely difficult to treat because it spreads
rapidly to other parts of the body and often shows resistance to
chemotherapy and radiotherapy(2). It is also difficult to diagnose,
with no effective early diagnostic test available(3) so the majority
of patients are diagnosed with advanced disease.

"For patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, the treatment
options are limited," commented Professor Eric Van Cutsem, Professor
of Medicine, Gastrointestinal Oncology Unit, University Hospital
Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium. "The interesting results show the need
for further exploring which patients benefit from the combination of
gemcitabine plus Avastin and Tarceva in view of the statistically
longer PFS which trends towards improved survival."

The results of the phase III AVITA (BO17706) study showed that
the addition of Avastin to a Tarceva/gemcitabine combination resulted
in:

- A 37% increase in the time patients live without their disease getting
      worse compared to Tarceva/gemcitabine alone
    - Almost 14% of patients experiencing a complete disappearance or
      shrinkage of their tumor
    - A trend towards improved overall survival
    - No new safety signals for Avastin

In addition, data from the Tarceva/gemcitabine control arm were
consistent with previous results from the PA3 study, reinforcing the
already established survival benefits of Tarceva in pancreatic
cancer(4).

About AVITA

The AVITA (BO17706) study is a Roche-sponsored, randomized,
double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III study that included 607
patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Study participants
received first-line treatment with either gemcitabine, Tarceva and
placebo or gemcitabine, Tarceva and Avastin (at 5mg/kg every two
weeks).

The AVITA study did not meet its primary endpoint of overall
survival (OS), however results showed that adding Avastin to a
combination of Tarceva and chemotherapy significantly improved the
time patients with pancreatic cancer lived without their disease
getting worse (PFS). A trend towards improved OS was also observed.

In addition, the findings in the gemcitabine/Tarceva control arm
of this trial were consistent with the efficacy observed in the
metastatic patient population in the pivotal Phase III PA3 study led
to the regulatory approval of Tarceva for the treatment of pancreatic
cancer in the US in 2005 and in the EU in 2007.

Additional information

- Roche in Oncology:
      http://www.roche.com/pages/downloads/company/pdf/mboncology05e_b.pdf
    - Roche Health Kiosk, Cancer: http://www.health-kiosk.ch/start_krebs
    - Avastin: http://www.avastin-info.com

To access video clips about Avastin in broadcast standard, free
of charge, please go to: http://www.thenewsmarket.com.

References

(1). Michaud. Minerva Chir, 2004; 59: 99-111.

(2). Khosravi Shahi. Anales de Medicina Interna, 2005; 22: 390-4.

(3). Stewart. et al. World Health Organisation and the
International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC Press/Lyon, 248-9.

(4). Moore et al. J Clin Oncol, 2007; 25: 1960-6.

Contact:

For more information please contact: Erica Bersin, Roche,
+41-79-618-7672 (mobile); Jon Harris, Galliard Healthcare,
+44-20-7663-2261 (direct line)