Doomed future for Tykerb in breast cancer arena, says analyst

The future of Tykerb (lapatinib) in the breast cancer market looks bleak, after the combination of GlaxoSmithKline’s (LSE: GSK) Tykerb and Herceptin (trastuzumab) in the  large Phase III trial, ALTTO, showed no statistical superiority over Herceptin alone for improving disease-free survival (DFS), says an analyst with research and consulting firm GlobalData.

Jamie Mallinson, GlobalData’s analyst covering oncology and hematology, says: “Tykerb's future in breast cancer has become unclear, particularly since GlaxoSmithKline made the decision in April this year to sell its oncology portfolio to Swiss drug major Novartis [NOVN: VX].”

He added: “Tykerb has failed to establish itself as a strong competitor in the HER2 positive market, and its use in the adjuvant setting was the only way it could gain a decent share of the breast cancer therapeutics market after Roche [ROG: SIX] launched Perjeta [pertuzumab] and Kadcyla [ado-trastuzumab emtansine or T-DM1].”