Roche runs for EU application of subcutaneous Herceptin

 Following promising results from a Phase III study, Roche has submitted a regulatory application to EMA for subcutaneous Herceptin (trastuzumab) to treat HER2-positive breast cancer. Roche said subcutaneous administration of Herceptin is less invasive and more convenient to patients, as it takes approximately five minutes instead of 30-90 minutes with the approved intravenous (IV) administration. The regulatory application is based on data from the Phase III HannaH trial presented on March 23 the at the European Breast Cancer meeting in Vienna. Subcutaneous Herceptin produced a complete pathologic response rate, the co-primary endpoints of pharmacokinetics and efficacy met their pre-specified criteria. The drug concentration in the blood measured just before surgery was at least as high for the SC as for the IV formulation (69.0 and 51.8 µg/mL, respectively). This is important in order to demonstrate comparable efficacy. In addition, efficacy, determined by pCR, in patients treated in the SC arm was in the same range as in patients who received the IV formulation (45.4 percent and 40.7 percent, respectively). Subcutaneous Herceptin is formulated using Enhanze recombinant human hyaluronidase (rHuPH20) drug delivery technology from Halozyme Therapeutics Inc.