By Ben Hirschler COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Lung cancer patients on Roche’s immune system-boosting drug Tecentriq lived on average 4.2 months longer than those taking chemotherapy in a pivotal study, pressuring Bristol-Myers Squibb’s dominant position in the field. The trial involved second-line patients, who have already used chemotherapy, and it found the Roche drug worked even in people with low or no levels of a protein called PD-L1, which is often used to test suitability for immunotherapy. Bristol’s Opdivo is currently the only immunotherapy drug approved without a PD-L1 test for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common form of the disease.
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Roche lung cancer drug success adds to pressure on Bristol
