Roche issued the following announcement on Oct. 29.
- Lung cancer causes more than 1.7 million deaths worldwide each year, with NSCLC accounting for about 85 percent of all cases
- The cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 is FDA approved as a companion diagnostic for the detection of EGFR mutations in NSCLC for both tissue and plasma samples, with results available in less than eight hours
- The new FDA approval allows the test to be used as a companion diagnostic for a broad group of EGFR TKI therapies
Roche (SIX: RO, ROG;OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of expanded claims for the cobas® EGFR Mutation Test v2 as a companion diagnostic (CDx) for a broad group of therapies in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This claim expansion allows the test to be used as a CDx for all five currently FDA-approved epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapies targeting EGFR mutations L858R and Exon 19 Deletions in accordance with the approved therapeutic product labeling. The group claim will also enable the test to be used as a CDx for any future approved EGFR TKI therapies targeting the same mutations, without the need to conduct individual clinical studies with the test for each new therapy.
"Clinicians can now have greater confidence in the robustness, reliability and proven clinical utility of the cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 when evaluating lung cancer patients who may benefit from targeted EGFR TKI therapies," said Neil Gunn, Head of Roche Sequencing Solutions. "By approving a single test for a broad group of therapies, this new and innovative approach by the FDA[3] can pave the way for future EGFR TKI therapies to utilise the cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 to help identify patients for personalised medicine."
About the cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2
The cobas EGFR Mutation Test v2 is a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for the qualitative detection of defined mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Defined EGFR mutations are detected using DNA isolated from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor tissue (FFPET) or circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) from plasma derived from ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) anti-coagulated peripheral whole blood.
About Roche
Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people's lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare — a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.
Roche is the world's largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.
Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. More than thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Moreover, for the eleventh consecutive year, Roche has been recognised as one of the most sustainable companies in the Pharmaceuticals Industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).
The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2019 employed about 98,000 people worldwide. In 2019, Roche invested CHF 11.7 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 61.5 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com.
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