Roche announced that the company will commence a late-stage trial investigating whether Tarceva (erlotinib) is superior to chemotherapy as a first-line treatment in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have genetic mutations in their epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

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News of the upcoming study comes after AstraZeneca said an EU committee adopted a positive opinion for Iressa (gefitinib) in adults with NSCLC with the same gene mutation. Commenting on the potential competition between the products, analyst Michael Leuchten of Deutsche Bank suggested that “we don’t doubt that Iressa will find its place in the treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer, but see little risk to the Tarceva franchise,” adding that “the two treatments are remarkably similar and entering a carved-up market without knock-out data is challenging.”

Deutsche Bank analysts said Iressa, which garnered sales of $250 million in 2008, will likely be a niche product, potentially generating $474 million in revenue in 2014.

Source: FirstWord

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