Roche receives EU approval of Avastin in combination with Tarceva for patients with a specific type of advanced lung cancer

Roche announced that the European Commission has approved the use of Avastin® (bevacizumab) in combination with Tarceva® (erlotinib) for the first-line treatment of adult patients with unresectable advanced, metastatic or recurrent non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR)-activating mutations.

The pivotal phase II JO25567 study showed a statistically significant 46 percent relative reduction in the risk of disease progression or death (median PFS: 16.0 months versus 9.7 months; [HR]=0.54, p=0.0015) for people treated with the combination of Avastin plus Tarceva compared to Tarceva alone. Avastin and Tarceva each target pathways which are known to be key drivers in the development and growth of tumours. The beneficial effect of Avastin plus Tarceva is supported by results of other clinical studies which showed the combination was effective and tolerable.

“The combination of Avastin and Tarceva represents a new standard of care for patients with this type of lung cancer,” said Sandra Horning, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Global Head of Product Development. “This approval provides physicians in Europe with a powerful combination therapy that can significantly extend progression-free survival beyond one year, representing important progress for a group of patients who typically face a poor prognosis.”

Each year, an estimated 23,000 Europeans are diagnosed with non-squamous NSCLC with EGFR-activating mutations, the equivalent of more than 60 diagnoses every day.4-8 NSCLC is the most common type of lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related death in Europe and across the world. Of all cancers, lung cancer has the greatest global economic and societal impact, making improvements in outcomes for patients with lung cancer a key global healthcare challenge.

More information can be found from Roche website.

Roche launches PT/INR bluetooth self-testing device for anticoagulated patients

Roche announced that it has launched the CoaguChek® INRange system in countries accepting the CE Mark. The CoaguChek INRange system is the first Bluetooth enabled PT/INR home health device that helps patients and their healthcare providers (HCPs) have greater control over their coagulation status and the ability to monitor Vitamin K Antagonist (VKA) therapy. Patient self-testing with CoaguChek INRange sets a new standard of care by enabling HCPs to monitor patient PT/INR data, while reducing visits to the lab.


Frequent self-testing offers both clinical and patient benefit as it has been proven that patients that adhere to their monitoring therapy spend more time in their therapeutic range, which results in lower incidence of stroke1 or bleeding.2 It has been demonstrated that 50–60% of patients can be expected to remain in their target range if monitoring of INR occurs monthly, 77–85% if monitored weekly and up to 92% if monitored every three days.3 Patients who spend a high proportion of time (> 70%) in the therapeutic range achieve better clinical outcomes.4,5

Evidence suggests that patients who have a strong link with their healthcare professional adhere better to their anticoagulant therapy plan.3 The CoaguChek INRange system helps enhance the relationship between patients and their healthcare providers. Patients build a deeper understanding of their PT/INR results through frequent self-testing and physicians are more confident that they can optimise treatment decisions effectively as they have access to patient data in near real-time.

“As healthcare systems face continued pressure to deliver improved access to care at a lower cost, increased connectivity between HCPs and patients becomes even more important,” said Roland Diggelmann, COO, Roche Diagnostics. “This innovative technology continues the CoaguChek legacy of setting the standard in coagulation monitoring by providing high quality, convenient care, while optimising outcomes for patients. This is another proof point towards our aim to position patient self-testing as the standard of care to monitor VKA therapy.”

Usual care or management of patients on VKA therapy includes frequent visits to the hospital or general practitioner for PT/INR testing with a venipuncture and waiting up to 2-3 days for the lab results. The CoaguChek INRange system engages patients in their care with a simple fingerstick and 60-second test, giving patients the independence to continue their normal daily activities and quality of life while maintaining connections with their HCPs.

"In a clinical environment, we need to establish a model of care that empowers patients, helping them to understand their health condition and allowing them to take responsibility of their own health care needs,” stated Juan Carlos Souto, renowned Physician at the Hospital de Sant Pau in Barcelona, Spain and author of over 400 scientific articles and communications. “The new technology will enable us to access the test results in the clinic’s database, to keep track of the individual patient’s status and to measure the quality of care provided by our clinic."

A press release can be found from Roche website by following this link.