Genentech Inc.


Press Releases


Feb 12, 2008

Avado Study of Avastin Plus Docetaxel Chemotherapy Showed Improved Progression-Free Survival in Patients With Advanced Breast Cancer


Genentech, Inc. (NYSE: DNA) announced today that AVADO, a Roche-sponsored Phase III, placebo-controlled study evaluating Avastin® (bevacizumab) in combination with docetaxel chemotherapy met its primary endpoint of prolonging progression-free survival (PFS) in patients who had not received prior chemotherapy for their locally recurrent or metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer. No new safety signals related to Avastin were observed. These data will be submitted for presentation at an upcoming medical meeting.
The AVADO study (BO17708) investigated the addition of Avastin administered either at 15 mg/kg or 7.5 mg/kg every three weeks to docetaxel chemotherapy. Both doses of Avastin in combination with chemotherapy showed statistically significant improvement in the time patients lived without their disease advancing compared to chemotherapy and placebo, based on investigator assessments.


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Epigenomics

Ad hoc ( § 15 WpHG): Epigenomics Licenses Septin 9 Colorectal Cancer

Date: Tuesday, 19.02.2008


Quest Diagnostics to commercialize laboratory developed blood test to aid in the early detection of colorectal cancer


Epigenomics AG (Frankfurt, Prime Standard: ECX; ISIN DE000A0BVT96), today announced that it signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement for its proprietary DNA methylation biomarker Septin 9 with Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX). Under the agreement Quest Diagnostics has licensed rights to uses of the Septin 9 DNA methylation biomarker to develop a molecular-based laboratory test that can help physicians detect colorectal cancer based on a patient’s blood specimen and can act as a supplement to conventional methods of colorectal cancer screening, including colonoscopy and fecal occult blood tests (FOBTs).

Quest Diagnostics is the first commercial laboratory in the U.S. to non-exclusively license the Septin 9 biomarker from Epigenomics. As a first-mover advantage, Quest Diagnostics was granted exclusivity for an undisclosed period in the U.S. In return for the Septin 9 rights, Epigenomics receives upfront and milestone payments as well as royalties on Quest Diagnostics’ sales of its Septin 9 laboratory developed test. Additional terms were not disclosed..............

Scientists using laser light to detect potential diseases via breath samples,

By blasting a person's breath with laser light, scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Colorado at Boulder have shown that they can detect molecules that may be markers for diseases like asthma or cancer

While the new technique has yet to be tested in clinical trials, it may someday allow doctors to screen people for certain diseases simply by sampling their breath, according to the research team from JILA, a joint institute of NIST and CU-Boulder.................

Stem cell breakthrough may reduce cancer risk

The main obstacle to using "reprogrammed" human stem cells – the danger that they might turn cancerous – has been solved, claims a US company.

PrimeGen, based in Irvine, California, says that its scientists have converted specialised adult human cells back to a seemingly embryonic state – using methods that are much less likely to trigger cancer than those deployed previously.

British scientists create 'revolutionary&... breast cancer developing