By Cristina Roca


Roche Holding AG said Thursday that its tecentriq immunotherapy drug has been approved in the European Union as an additional treatment for some adults with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer.

The European Commission approved the treatment for patients who had complete resection and platinum-based chemotherapy, among other criteria.

"Since approximately half of all people with early NSCLC develop recurrence after surgery, which in some cases is no longer curable, treating this cancer at an earlier stage offers the best chance to prevent recurrence," Roche Chief Medical Officer Levi Garraway said.

Interim data of a Phase 3 study showed that treatment with tecentriq reduced the risk of disease recurrence or death by 57%.

Tecentriq is already approved as an adjuvant treatment in 19 countries.


Write to Cristina Roca at cristina.roca@wsj.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

06-09-22 0139ET