Pharma major Roche Scientific Company on Tuesday launched its revolutionary anti-cancer drug 'Tarceva' (erlotinib), which 'prolongs and improves' quality of the life of patients, suffering from lung cancer.
Tarceva is a novel therapy for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regiment, its managing director G L Telang told reporters in Mumbai.
It is an oral tablet taken once a day and has the potential to treat many types of solid tumours and the drug has been approved in the US since November 2004 and in the European Union since September 2005, Telang said.
The drug has demonstrated a striking survival benefit (42.5 per cent) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease and has also shown to significantly improve patients' quality of life by alleviating the severe and debilitating symptoms that characterise advanced disese, such as cough, pain and breathlessness, Telang said.
Traceva works differently to chemotherapy by specifically targeting tumour cells and inhibiting their growth. The drug blocks tumour cell growth by inhibiting the activity of a specific enzyme, tyrosine kinase, which is part of the human epidermal growth receptor.
Asked whether the drug has been registered in the country, Telang said, the drug is a post-1995 patent and is in the mailbox in India since 1996. However, the company will conduct an Expanded Access Programme with five cancer centres in the country and 25 patients will be given the treatment with the drug.
Do you want to discuss stock tips? Do you know a hot one? Join the Stock Market Investments Discussion Group
