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Genentech’s lymphoma therapy shows triple progression-free survival
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO - Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), a pharmaceutical giant with a market capitalization of $269 billion and an impressive 74.8% gross profit margin according to InvestingPro, reported that its Phase III SUNMO study demonstrated Lunsumio in combination with Polivy significantly improved outcomes for patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) who are not eligible for transplant.
The study showed the combination therapy achieved a median progression-free survival of 11.5 months, compared to 3.8 months for the control group receiving rituximab, gemcitabine and oxaliplatin (R-GemOx). This represents a 59% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death. These promising results come as Roche maintains its position as a prominent player in the pharmaceuticals industry, with InvestingPro data showing the company has maintained dividend payments for 34 consecutive years while operating with moderate debt levels.
The objective response rate was 70.3% for the Lunsumio-Polivy combination versus 40% for R-GemOx, with complete response rates of 51.4% and 24.3% respectively.
According to the company, the safety profile was consistent with the known profiles of the individual medicines. About 25% of patients experienced cytokine release syndrome, with less than 5% having Grade 2 or 3 events. No immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome was reported.
"If approved, this off-the-shelf treatment combination could be administered over a fixed period of time, without mandatory hospitalization or traditional chemotherapy," said Jason Westin, professor of lymphoma at The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, in the press release.
Genentech plans to submit the results to global health authorities, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network has already added Lunsumio and Polivy to its clinical practice guidelines as a category 2A recommendation for second-line diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients not proceeding to transplant.
Large B-cell lymphoma is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with approximately 160,000 people diagnosed worldwide annually. While generally responsive to initial treatment, up to 40% of patients relapse or have refractory disease.
The study results were presented at the 18th International Conference on Malignant Lymphoma.
In other recent news, Roche announced a significant investment plan of up to $550 million to expand its Diagnostics site in Indianapolis by 2030. This expansion aims to enhance the manufacturing of Roche’s continuous glucose monitoring systems, addressing the needs of over 38 million Americans living with diabetes. The investment is expected to create hundreds of skilled manufacturing jobs and thousands of construction jobs, boosting Indiana’s economy and strengthening domestic production capabilities. Additionally, BNP Paribas Exane initiated coverage on Roche with an Outperform rating and set a price target of CHF300, highlighting the company’s promising pipeline and strategic partnerships. Analyst Peter Verdult projects a compound annual growth rate for Roche’s revenue and earnings per share from 2025 to 2030, which he believes will surpass consensus estimates. However, Roche faced a setback when its Phase III MUSETTE trial for a higher dose of Ocrevus in relapsing multiple sclerosis did not meet its primary endpoint. Despite this, the current 600 mg dose remains effective and well-tolerated, continuing to be a standard treatment for multiple sclerosis. Roche also introduced Ocrevus Zunovo™, aimed at improving treatment accessibility for multiple sclerosis patients in centers with limited IV infrastructure.
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