Roche's MabThera yields strong data in CLL

Early results from two Phase II trials tracking the outcome of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia treated with Roche's MabThera (rituximab) have shown promising results, according to the firm. The Swiss drug major presented data on the drug at the 49th annual meeting of the American Society of Hematology, in Atlanta.

In the first trial, 92% of patients with previously untreated CLL achieved a response when given MabThera in combination with chemotherapy. Roche noted that this improvement confirms similar results from earlier studies. Also being investigating is the impact of MabThera maintenance therapy in CLL patients, as all responding patients in the induction phase will also receive MabThera maintenance therapy. Results from the second part of the study are expected in 2008.

The second trial, conducted by the UK CLL study group, focused on patients with relapsed CLL and demonstrated a better response for those on MabThera in combination with chemotherapy than with chemotherapy alone, 70% to 57%. Emili Montserrat, from the Department of Hematology, University of Barcelona, Spain, said: "these early results seem to signify that the addition of MabThera to treatment is critical to improving outcomes in CLL patients, where there is currently a high unmet medical need."