Genentech Eagerly Awaits FDA Word on 2nd Breast Cancer Drug

Genentech came out with the first targeted antibody drug for breast cancer almost 15 years ago, and made headlines this week with a “supercharged” version that beats the original. What fewer people may realize is that it’s also gearing up this week to start selling a new and different targeted drug for breast cancer. The South San Francisco-based company, a unit of Roche, is eagerly awaiting word from the FDA on whether it has the green light to market pertuzumab (Perjeta) in the U.S. as a new therapy for women with breast cancer that overexpresses the HER2 protein.