Roche said its new combination therapy of Tecentriq and Avastin, a first-line treatment for advanced liver cancer, has improved overall survival (OS) by 34 percent compared to the existing standard therapy, Sorafenib.

Roche’s new combination therapy of Tecentriq (left) and Avastin showed the longest OS improvement among first-line treatments for advanced liver cancer.
Roche’s new combination therapy of Tecentriq (left) and Avastin showed the longest OS improvement among first-line treatments for advanced liver cancer.

The Swiss-based pharmaceutical giant disclosed the updated results of its phase 3 clinical IMbrave 150 study that compared Tecentriq and Avastin's combination to Sorafenib monotherapy as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced unresectable liver cancer.

The released data included safety profile information such as OS, progression-free survival (PFS), and objective response rate (ORR) derived during the median follow-up period of 15.6 months. Particularly, the Tecentriq and Avastin combination therapy group's median OS time was 19.2 months, five to eight months longer compared to the Sorafenib group's 13.4 months, and reduced the risk of death by 34 percent.

The results show the longest total OS duration for any first-line treatment options, including Sorafenib and Renbatinib, for advanced liver cancer.

Renbatinib developed by Eisai improved the PFS index for the first time in about a decade after Sorafenib and rapidly emerged as a next-generation liver cancer treatment option. However, it was not sufficient to replace standard treatment as it did not demonstrate superiority in OS, according to Roche.

However, Tecentriq and Avastin's combination therapy improved OS by 34 percent and PFS by 35 percent compared to Sorafenib, the standard treatment, demonstrating clear clinical benefits.

Tecentriq and Avastin combination therapy also showed an improvement in ORR. The ORR confirmed so far was 30 percent, of which the complete response rate (CR) reached 8 percent, and the partial response rate (PR) was 22 percent.

Considering that the ORR of the Sorafenib monotherapy group was 11 percent, the CR rate was less than 1 percent, and the PR rate was 11 percent, it showed a drastic improvement. Roche also confirmed that the proportion of patients maintaining a response was 56 percent in the Tecentriq and Avastin combination therapy group and 28 percent in the Sorafenib group.

Notably, the results of an analysis of the Chinese subgroup have received attention as it suggested the survival benefits in Asians. As a result of the study of the Chinese subgroup, the OS period of the Tecentriq and Avastin combination therapy group was 24 months, while the company did not reach the median value during the follow-up period.

Tecentriq and Avastin combination therapy group reduced the risk of death by 47 percent compared to Sorafenib as the sorafenib monotherapy group's total OS period was 11.4 months.

The result's safety profile was also consistent with previously published studies and showed no significant signs related to the treatment's safety.

Roche presented the clinical trial's specific data during the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Gastrointestinal Conference (ASCO GI), held online on Sunday.

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