Utah People's Post

The Latest News from the Beehive State

Friday, June 2, 2023
Log in
  • National News
    • Female Caseworker Killed & Doctor Shot in Philadelphia
  • State News
    • Car Chase Leads to Drug Arrest
  • Tech & Science
  • Health
    • How to Prepare For Ticks Season
    • Magical Weight Loss Bean Scam
  • Sports
  • Business
You are here: Home / Health / Breast Cancer Drug Perjeta Appears to Extend Patients’ Lives by 15 Months

Breast Cancer Drug Perjeta Appears to Extend Patients’ Lives by 15 Months

September 29, 2014 Posted by Staff

Breast Cancer Drug Perjeta

Cancer research rarely provides such an astonishing result. Perjeta, a drug made by the Swiss drug company Roche is used in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. This advanced form of cancer means that cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. After a study spanning several years, researchers said that on average, Perjeta can extend the lives of breast cancer patients by 15 months.

Yes, Perjeta, generically known as pertuzumab, is already on the market since 2012. But this is the first study showing more precisely how effective the drug is. Perjeta inhibits HER2, an active protein in some breast cancer types. By combining Perjeta with Herceptin in breast cancers where HER2 is predominant, patient’s lives can be extended dramatically when compared to previous treatments.

The research involved 808 untreated patients with metastatic breast cancer from around the world. Half of them received the trio Perjeta, Herceptin, Docetaxel (chemotherapy drug). The other half received a placebo instead of Perjeta, along with the two other drugs.

The study results astonished researchers. Patients treated with Perjeta had a median survival time of 56.6 months, 15.7 months longer than the ones who did not take the drug.

Lead author Dr. Sandra M. Swain, MedStar Washington Hospital Center, said “We’ve never seen anything like this before.” The trial results set new standards in cancer drug making. “It’s really unprecedented to have this survival benefit,” Swain added. Other researchers say they rarely see more than two months of improvements, Boston Globe notes.

Perjeta is already on the market, but only about half of the patients who could take it end up doing so. These exciting results will definitely increase Perjeta sales in the US. Perjeta costs $5,900 a month, but add that to the cost of Herceptin, $5,300 a month. The combination with Herceptin made the company sell Perjeta at a lower price than other cancer treatment drugs, Edward Lang Jr, spokesperson for Roches, said.

A regular cancer treatment cost even more $10,000 a month. The use of Perjeta is even lower in countries where price is an even greater issue compared to the US. However, Roche’s drug will soon become a standard in breast cancer treatment all over the world. So far, Roche made $408 million out of Perjeta sales. More than half comes from US sales.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Filed Under: Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: breast cancer drug, cancer trial, metastatic breast cancer, Perjeta, Roche

Woman working out at the gym

Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

June 29, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

June 29, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

United Airlines airplane

Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston

June 28, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Breakfast sandwich

Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

June 27, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Poppy flower

UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply

June 27, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

U.S.-Canada border

French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border

June 26, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Plus size model

Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

June 25, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Giant manta ray

Unique Manta Ray Nursery Spotted off Texas Coast

June 23, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

The rainbow flag

WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

June 22, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

June 21, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Kenyan girls dancing

Kenyans Facing Poor Nutrition as Supermarket Shopping Is on the Rise

June 20, 2018 By Amelia Donovan

Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Staff
  • Terms and Conditions

Recent Posts

  • Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)
  • Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston
  • Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat
  • UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply
  • French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

Related Articles

  • Woman working out at the gym

    Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

    Jun 29, 2018
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

    Jun 29, 2018
  • Breakfast sandwich

    Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

    Jun 27, 2018
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

    Jun 25, 2018
  • The rainbow flag

    WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

    Jun 22, 2018
  • 456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

    Jun 21, 2018
  • Young woman affected by depression

    If You Have PTSD You Were Likely Abused as a Child

    Jun 19, 2018
  • Obese dog on a leash

    Obese Dogs Can Help Us Better Understand How Obesity Works

    Jun 18, 2018
  • Our Brains Are Craving Combinations of Fats and Carbs (Study)

    Jun 15, 2018
  • Hungry bird with beck open

    Scientists Explain Why We Get ‘Hangry’

    Jun 13, 2018

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Provo
  • Salt Lake News
  • Science
  • Sports
  • State News
  • Tech & Science
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • West Jordan
  • West Valley City
  • World

Copyright © 2023 utahpeoplespost.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Site Map · Contact