Tarceva approved as maintenance therapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Genentech announced that the FDA has approved Tarceva (erlotinib tablets) as a maintenance treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease has not progressed after four cycles of platinum-based first-line chemotherapy. This approval was based on data from the Phase 3 SATURN study which showed that Tarceva given as a maintenance therapy immediately after first-line chemotherapy significantly extended overall survival and significantly improved progression-free survival, including patients with either squamous or non-squamous NSCLC, compared with placebo.

Tarceva is already approved for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen, and in combination with gemcitabine for the first-line treatment of locally advanced, unresectable or metastatic pancreatic cancer.

For more information call (877) TARCEVA or visit www.tarceva.com.