Genentech breathes new life into failed breast cancer drug

Genentech revealed that pertuzumab and Herceptin in addition to chemotherapy caused tumors to disappear in 45.8 percent of newly-diagnosed breast cancer patients, compared with 29 percent receiving only Herceptin and chemotherapy.

Genentech ($DNA) has found a new use for a failed drug. At the annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, the drugmaker revealed that pertuzumab and Herceptin in addition to chemotherapy caused tumors to disappear in 45.8 percent of newly-diagnosed breast cancer patients, compared with 29 percent receiving only Herceptin and chemotherapy. The trial included 419 women with early-stage, HER2-positive breast cancer--a genetic mutation that is present in about one quart of breast cancer cases.

Xconomy notes that pertuzumab was as good as gone in 2005. It was originally engineered to be a successor to Herceptin, but showed limited activity in Phase II trials of the treatment for ovarian, breast, and prostate tumors. But today's announcement indicates that pertuzumab real value as a combination therapy. Though patients experienced some notable side effects--including neutropenia, febrile neutropenia and severe diarrhea--Xconomy points out that the lack of cardiac events