Roche Shares Climb After Interim Data Shows Survival Gain in Cancer Trial

By Adria Calatayud

Shares in Roche Holding rose Wednesday after the company released interim results from a late-stage clinical trial of a combination of two of its drugs that showed a benefit for overall survival in patients with lung cancer.

At 0851 GMT, Roche's nonvoting shares were up 4.5% at CHF264.35. This would be the stock's biggest one-day percentage gain since November 2020 if maintained until close, according to FactSet data.

In a phase 3 trial, patients who received immunotherapy tiragolumab in combination with antibody Tecentriq showed an estimated median overall survival of 22.9 months, against 16.7 months for those who received Tecentriq alone, Roche said, cautioning that the interim results weren't mature.

The trial is on track to show a significant overall-survival benefit, Citi analysts said in a research note. However, underwhelming data from the arm of the trial that received Tecentriq could limit the commercial impact given that Roche failed to replicate the median survival rate the drug had shown in a previous trial, Citi said.

Roche provided the update on the trial after what it called an inadvertent disclosure of analysis data. The study remains blinded to patients and investigators is continuing until the final analysis for overall survival has been completed, the company said.

The final analysis of overall survival is expected to be released in December, Citi said.

Roche in May last year said the lung-cancer trial hadn't met its target for progression-free survival, which was the primary goal of the study alongside overall survival.

Write to Adria Calatayud at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 23, 2023 05:21 ET (09:21 GMT)

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