MANILA, Philippines - GlaxoSmithKline Philippines (GSK) recently announced the Philippine Food and Drug Administration approval of a new indication for its targeted therapy Lapatinib in combination with paclitaxel, a widely used chemotherapy agent. This new indication provides Filipino patients with Her2-positive (also known as ErbB2-positive), first line, metastatic breast cancer (MBC) an oral treatment option in combination with chemotherapy against their disease.
In partnership with the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology, GSK launched the new Lapatinib + paclitaxel indication in the GSK Oncology Congress, which gathered 70 medical oncologists from around the Philippines. Dr Zhong-Zhen Guan, the principal investigator of the clinical trial, flew in from China to present data on the overall survival of MBC patients with combination treatment.
In a blinded, randomized, Phase III study, women with previously untreated HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer achieved a statistically significant improvement in overall survival when treated with an investigational combination of Lapatinib plus paclitaxel compared to those treated with paclitaxel plus placebo, (27.8 months vs 20.5 months, respectively) equating to a 26-percent reduction in the risk of death.
Dr. Guan also highlighted the positive safety profile and risk reduction of death of the new combination therapy for Her2-positive breast cancer patients.
The study was primarily conducted within the Asia-Pacific region with 86 percent of patients in the study being of Asian genealogy.
GSK also announced that more Filipino women with advanced Her2-positive breast cancer can benefit from targeted therapy. In 2010, the company reduced the price of Lapatinib by 40 percent under its ValueHealth program. This is aligned with GSK’s tiered-pricing policy for Lapatinib in Southeast Asia wherein the drug is made available at preferential prices based on the country’s Gross National Income as defined by the World Bank, ensuring it is appropriately priced to reach more women.
“Even as advanced breast cancer remains a challenging disease, we are encouraged to see medical advancements such as targeted therapies offer patients improved treatment outcomes,” said Dr. Joven Tanchuco, GSK medical director. “GSK is committed to continue finding more ways to advance knowledge in oncology and help reduce the burden of cancer in as many patients as we can reach.”
For more information on MBC and targeted therapy, patients are advised to consult their doctor.