Roche has announced , that its subsidiary Chugai Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd received approval from the Japanese Health Authority for the use of Herceptin in the early treatment for women with HER2-positive breast cancer. The approval was based on the impressive HERA (HERceptin Adjuvant) study results demonstrating that Herceptin significantly reduced the risk of death and recurrence by more than one third(34% and 36% respectively), in women with HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer when given following surgery and standard chemotherapy.

HER2-positive breast cancer affects approximately 20% to 30%2 of women with breast cancer.Prior to Herceptin, these patients had a particularly poor outlook because of the aggressive nature of their HER2-positive cancer.

Prof. Masakazu Toi, Department of Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan commented, “The diagnosis of early HER2-positive breast cancer is no longer seen as a death-sentence as Herceptin reduces the risk of recurrence by about half. It’s exciting that Herceptin is considered the standard of care for HER2-positive breast cancer patients around the world”.