ROCHE LAUNCHES PERJETA - HERCEPTIN COMBINATION, A POST-SURGERY TREATMENT FOR EARLY BREAST CANCER (eBC) |
MARCH 8, 2019 @9 PM
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(Left to right) Dr Ng Char Hong, Lance Duan, Dr Matin Mellor at the official launch of Perjeta - Herceptin combination.
Roche (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd today launched Perjeta (pertuzumab), approved in Malaysia for use in combination with Herceptin (trastuzumab) and chemotherapy for the adjuvant treatment (post-surgery) of patients with HER2-positive early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women globally. Every 15 seconds, one woman is diagnosed with breast cancer somewhere in the world. Breast cancer is the most common form of malignancy affecting women and the disease burden of breast cancer affects 32.1% of all women living with cancer in Malaysia. Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) The over-expression of Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (HER2) is associated with poor prognosis which results in shortened time to relapse and shorter overall survival in patients. Studies showed that 23%-28% of patients diagnosed with breast cancer are HER2-positive breast cancer in Malaysia. “HER2-positive eBC is an aggressive disease, and additional risk factors, such as lymph node involvement will lead certain patients to experience disease recurrence even earlier. Despite adjuvant treatment with trastuzumab, approximately one in four HER2-positive early Breast Cancer women experience a relapse of their disease in the long-term,” said Dr Matin Mellor, Consultant Clinical Oncologist at the official launch event of Perjeta - Herceptin combination. Adding to his comment, Dr Ng Char Hong, Consultant Breast and Breast Reconstructive Surgeon said that the only setting where HER2-positive breast cancer can potentially be cured is at the early stage. "There is no cure for breast cancer that recurs and reaches an advanced stage where treatment is solely aimed at prolonging life for as long as possible. Thus, it is clinically meaningful to effectively treat breast cancer patients at the earliest stage.” Previously, the combination (Perjeta + Herceptin + Chemotherapy) was approved for the treatment of metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, where it has been shown to significantly extend survival compared to Herceptin and chemotherapy alone. Now, with the adjuvant approval, it means that eligible patients with HER2-positive eBC in Malaysia could be treated with the Perjeta - Herceptin combination for a total of one year as part of a complete regimen for eBC. Perjeta Perjeta targets the HER2 receptor, a protein found on the surface of many normal cells and in high quantities on the surface of cancer cells in HER2-positive cancers. It is designed specifically to prevent the HER2 receptor from pairing (or ‘dimerising’) with other HER receptors (EGFR/HER1, HER3 and HER4) on the surface of cells. The mechanisms of action of Perjeta and Herceptin are believed to complement each other. Both bind to the HER2 receptor but to different places. The combination is thought to provide a more comprehensive, dual blockade of HER signalling pathways, thus preventing tumour cell growth and survival. Clinical trial A Phase 3 clinical trial (APHINITY) involving over 4,800 people with HER2-positive eBC was conducted. In summary, APHINITY showed that adding Perjeta to Herceptin and chemotherapy after surgery reduced the risk of invasive breast cancer recurrence or death (invasive disease-free survival; iDFS) compared to Herceptin and chemotherapy alone in the overall study population. The greatest benefit in the trial was observed in patients with lymph node-positive or hormone receptor-negative breast cancer: • For patients with lymph node-positive disease, the combination reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 23%. • Among patients with hormone receptor-negative disease, the combination reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 24%. In terms of the safety profile of Perjeta - Herceptin combination, it is consistent as reported previously, with low incidence of primary cardiac events (<1%) and no new safety issued noted. “Roche’s treatment goal for early breast cancer is to cure the disease. While treatment outcomes have improved over the years, unfortunately, some patients still have recurrence of breast cancer. As such, today’s launch of Perjeta - Herceptin combination as an adjuvant treatment is highly significant. There is another option that can make an even greater contribution to the advancement of breast cancer treatment,” shared Lance Duan, Managing Director, Roche (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. Roche's Patient Assistance Programme Perjeta - Herceptin combination has also been included in MY Roche’s Patient Assistance Programme which is committed to helping eligible patients access the Roche medicines they are prescribed. Under the programme, the subsidised medications will benefit the patients in supporting their overall treatment cost. For further information on Perjeta - Herceptin combination and MY Roche’s Patient Assistance Programme, please contact your oncologist, or treating physician. PERJETA- HERCEPTIN Combination is now approved in more than 70 countries for adjuvant therapy for HER2-positive early breast cancer, including in the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada and a few ASEAN countries like Singapore, Thailand and Philippines. 
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