Swiss major Roche is dumping a series of cancer, autoimmune and respiratory drugs in mid- to late-stage tests.
In its fourth-quarter and full-year results published (PDF) early Thursday morning, Roche said it had “removed from phase 3” two breast cancer combos using its Akt inhibitor ipatasertib (aka RG7440).
These comprise one late-stage trial that wedded the drug with chemotherapy in first-line HR-positive/triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients and a combo test with Roche’s approved checkpoint inhibitor Tecentriq and taxane in first-line TNBC.
In a note to clients, analysts at Jefferies said the trials being canned was “expected after disappointing … data” from a breast cancer trial of ipatasertib presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology meeting last year, which proved to be a dud.
Ipatasertib had been forecast to top $1.1 billion in worldwide sales in 2026, according to EvaluatePharma’s consensus, with Jefferies analysts previously giving it a 40% probability to launch. The drug is still being assessed in prostate cancer and other breast cancer combination settings.
Back in phase 2, Roche has also stopped two trials: one for its Amgen-licensed anti-ST2 antibody astegolimab (RG6149)—which failed in in asthma as an IL-33 (following similar disappointments from the likes of Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline)—and BTK inhibitor fenebrutinib in rheumatoid arthritis, although Roche is also testing the drug in multiple sclerosis.