Roche Withdraws Tecentriq’s Approval for Bladder Cancer

Roche is withdrawing the U.S. indication for its immunotherapy Tecentriq (atezolizumab) used for treatment of urothelial carcinoma in patients who received prior platinum-based chemotherapy.

The drug received Accelerated Approval in 2016 for the indication but failed to meet its primary endpoint of overall survival in a follow-up study.

While the withdrawal is disappointing, Tecentriq “continues to demonstrate benefits across multiple cancer types and therefore remains a meaningful treatment option for many patients,” said Levi Garraway, Roche’s chief medical officer and head of global product development.