Cancer drug combination trialled in Ireland shows only 1% benefit

A new drug cocktail for treating breast cancer which was extensively trialled in Ireland has been shown to cut the risk of recurrence by 19 per cent.

However, the use of Perjeta (pertuzumab) in combination with Herceptin and chemotherapy resulted in only a 1 per cent benefit for all patients, according to data presented at the world’s biggest cancer meeting in Chicago on Monday.

After three years, 94.1 per cent of patients taking the cocktail were disease-free, compared to 93.2 per cent of those on Herceptin alone.

Forty-four Irish women were among 4,800 women worldwide who took part in the Aphinity trial of the new drug combination, manufactured by Roche Pharmaceuticals.

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Every year, about 450 women in Ireland are affected by HER2-positive early breast cancer, a particularly aggressive form of the disease.

High-risk patients

Oncologist Dr Janice Walshe, principal investigator for the trial in Ireland, said the Perjeta-based combination had delivered a small, incremental improvement in outcomes for patients. "The benefit seems to be concentrated among high-risk patients. This isn't a treatment for all patients but we need to drill down further into the data to see where the benefit lies."

The combination of the Perjeta, Herceptin and chemotherapy pre-surgery is funded in 10 west European states but not in Ireland. Roche said while it was proud of the contribution of Irish patients to the trial, it wanted patients in Ireland to have the same access to the treatment as elsewhere in Europe.

In the US, the combination of Perjeta and Herceptin costs $158,000 a year, compared to $75,000 for Herceptin alone.