Roche Won't Be Forced to Disclose Ties to Avastin Backers

Roche Holding AG (ROG) should be required to disclose any financial ties to its presenters speaking next week at a hearing to consider a U.S. proposal to withdraw approval of the drug Avastin in breast cancer, regulators said. The Food and Drug Administration asked the presiding officer of the June 28-29 hearing to require disclosures for speakers with ties to Basel, Switzerland-based Roche’s Genentech division or any companies that make products that compete with Avastin. This is necessary to correct an “imbalance” of transparency since FDA speakers and members of the advisory committee reviewing Avastin disclose their ties, the FDA said.