Roche's new timesaving formulation of Herceptin approved in Europe

Swiss pharma major Roche (ROG: SIX) revealed this morning (September 2) that a new injectable (subcutaneous) formulation of Herceptin (trastuzumab) has been approved by the European Commission for the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer, an aggressive sub-type of the disease.

The approval is for both early and later stages of treatment. The subcutaneous formulation is administered in two to five minutes, rather than 30 to 90 minutes with the standard intravenous form. Herceptin generated global sales of 3.08 billion Swiss francs ($3.3 billion) in the first-half of 2013. Analysts at Credit Suisse have a net present value of 25.56 francs a share for Herceptin (10% of total) for Roche.

“More than 90,000 women in Europe are diagnosed with HER2 positive breast cancer every year,” said Hal Barron, Roche’s chief medical officer and head of global product development, adding: “We are pleased this new, formulation of Herceptin may enable patients to spend less time in the hospital and more time getting on with their lives.”