Roche’s Blood Cancer Candidate Fails in Phase 3

Roche’s blood cancer candidate Gazyva floundered in a Phase 3 trial against Rituxan, missing its primary endpoint of improving progression-free survival.

The head-to-head study gauged the effectiveness of Gazyva taken in conjunction with chemotherapy versus rituximab taken with and chemotherapy for patients with untreated diffuse large b-cell lymphoma.

Gazyva, which falls under a joint venture between Genentech and Biogen, is a monoclonal antibody intended to attach to a protein found in some b-cells.