A new breast cancer drug called Perjeta has been granted a licence to be used in Europe.
It is not yet available on the NHS, but its manufacturers are in talks with regulators.
Here we answer some of your questions about the drug.
- Who is it for?
Perjeta is a new personalised treatment for what’s called HER2-positive breast cancer, which accounts for around a quarter of all breast cancers. It’s meant for patients whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body and is considered to be incurable.
Today, the drug’s manufacturer Roche has announced Perjeta has been granted a licence by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The EMA made the decision after a number of clinical trials, including a major study known as Cleopatra.
- What did the clinical studies find?
More than 800 people took part in the trials worldwide. Patients at Manchester’s Christie Hospital, where 34 people have been trialling the drug, made up one of the biggest UK groups in Cleopatra.
The study found that patients who took Perjeta alongside Herceptin and chemotherapy lived on average 6.1 months longer without their cancer getting worse, compared to those taking Herceptin and chemotherapy alone.http://www.itv.com/news/granada/2013-03-14/factfile-new-breast-cancer-drug-perjeta/?action_object_map=%7B%2210201961784508270%22%3A199243580256142%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D&action_type_map=%7B%2210201961784508270%22%3A%22og.recommends%22%7D&fb_action_ids=10201961784508270&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_source=other_multiline
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