Elderly Aided by Rituxan, Study Says

Genentech Inc.’s cancer drug Rituxan appears to prolong the lives of elderly patients with a fast-spreading form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, according to research announced Sunday.

Early results from the federally funded clinical trial caused a stir last month because they showed Rituxan did not improve patient survival.

Rituxan, co-marketed by Genentech and Biogen Idec Inc., had sales last year of $1.2 billion and is among the bestselling cancer drugs. It is a key profit driver for South San Francisco-based Genentech.

Dr. Thomas Habermann of the federally funded Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group said the new analysis included six months’ additional data on 632 patients. However, he cautioned that the study wasn’t designed to demonstrate whether Rituxan helped patients live longer.

The three-year trial was performed to determine whether Rituxan could postpone relapses, Habermann said. Results indicate that one round of Rituxan does that, but further treatments have no added effect, he said.

Rituxan is approved for the slow-moving form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is incurable. And it is widely used in the fast-moving form, which is curable in 30% to 40% of cases when treated with chemotherapy.

Habermann said that his study reinforced use of Rituxan in patients with aggressive disease. “There is a role for Rituxan,” he said.