Roche, a pharmaceutical company, recently announced that an experimental cancer treatment they were working on, called tiragolumab, did not improve survival rates in a major lung cancer study. The study, known as SKYSCRAPER-01, involved over 500 patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The goal was to see if combining tiragolumab with Roche’s existing medicine Tecentriq would be more effective than using Tecentriq alone. Unfortunately, the combination did not outperform Tecentriq on the study’s primary endpoint of overall survival.
Tiragolumab was specifically designed to target a protein called TIGIT, which was believed to be a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. However, early clinical data on tiragolumab have been disappointing, including another failed trial called SKYSCRAPER-06. This raises doubts about whether targeting TIGIT is as effective as initially thought.
Despite these setbacks, Roche had previously expressed optimism about the potential of tiragolumab. In fact, in 2023, the company accidentally revealed data that seemed to indicate the drug was working. However, the final results of the SKYSCRAPER-01 trial proved otherwise. Roche has not provided detailed results yet, but they plan to present the data at a medical conference next year.
In response to these findings, Roche stated that they will review their study programs and make any necessary adjustments for ongoing research. They also mentioned that more data from phase III studies in different settings and tumor types are expected next year. Additionally, Roche announced a separate deal to acquire Poseida Therapeutics for approximately $1 billion. Poseida Therapeutics is known for developing off-the-shelf CAR-T treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Overall, the disappointing results of the tiragolumab study highlight the challenges of developing effective cancer treatments. Despite the setbacks, Roche remains committed to advancing research in this area and exploring new possibilities for improving patient outcomes. The acquisition of Poseida Therapeutics also demonstrates Roche’s dedication to expanding their portfolio and staying at the forefront of innovative therapies.
