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.
