Roche Wins Approval in China for Liver Cancer Drug

Roche has received approval from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for Tecentriq (atezolizumab) in combination with Avastin (bevacizumab) for patients suffering from unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

The approval was supported by results from a phase 3 study in which participants in China who received the combination therapy saw a 56 percent reduction in mortality and a 40 percent reduction in worsening of the disease. Globally, patients taking the combination saw a 42 percent reduction in mortality and a 41 percent reduced risk of disease worsening.

The NMPA approved Tecentriq in combination with chemotherapy for patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer earlier this year.