Roche Launches Antibody Test To Diagnose Prostate Cancer
Zacks Investment Research | Apr 13, 2017 12:01AM ET
Roche Holding (SIX:ROG) AG (OTC:RHHBY) announced that it has launched the anti-p504s (SP116) Rabbit Monoclonal Primary Antibody for prostate cancer diagnosis on a world wise basis.
Roche’s share price shows that the company has outperformed the Zacks classified industry year to date. The stock rallied 12.9% compared with the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry’s gain of 5.9%.
The antibody is designed in a way that it can be used in a dual stain with the VENTANA Basal Cell Cocktail (34ßE12+p63). This enables it to differentiate morphologically difficult cases as benign, a typical or cancerous on a single slide. In fact, elevated expression of p504s has become a useful biomarker in the diagnosis of prostate adenocarcinoma. It helps in reducing the need for multiple slides to make a diagnosis. Also, it aids the clinicians in making a more accurate diagnosis with a smaller tissue sample.
Roche is expanding its presence in the diagnostics market. The division added nine key instruments and tests to its portfolio in 2016. In 2016, revenues at the Diagnostics division climbed 7% on the back of solid performance of the Centralised and Point of Care Solutions (9%) unit.
In addition, the company also launched four new medicines: Cotellic (advanced melanoma), Alecensa (lung cancer), Venclexta (chronic lymphocytic leukemia; jointly commercialised with AbbVie) and Tecentriq (bladder and lung cancer). In addition, five FDA breakthrough therapy designations were granted for Roche medicines in 2016.
We note that the company has a strong presence in the oncology market. It dominates in the breast cancer space with strong demand for HER2 franchise drugs like Herceptin, Perjeta and Kadcyla. We are also impressed by the company's efforts to develop its portfolio immunology. Evidently, new drug launches such as Tecentriq, Cotellic and Alecensa boosted sales and are expected to continue to do so in the upcoming quarters as well.
Recently, Roche presented encouraging results from the phase III study, ALUR, evaluating its lung cancer drug Alecensa. The study met its primary endpoint as Alecensa significantly improved progression-free survival (PFS) in patients.In fact, patients suffering from anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive advanced (metastatic) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and had progressed following treatment with one prior line of both platinum-based chemotherapy and Pfizer’s (NYSE:PFE) Xalkori, compared with chemotherapy are likely to benefit from the same.
Get The News You Want
Notably, Alecensa received conditional marketing authorization from the European Commission for patients suffering from ALK-positive NSCLC, who were treated with Xalkori in Feb 2017. Also, it is approved as a monotherapy for patients suffering from ALK-positive NSCLC, who have shown progress or are intolerant to Xalkori.
Zacks Rank & Other Stocks to Consider
Roche currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Other top-raked stocks in the health care sector include Heska Corporation (NASDAQ:HSKA) and Galena Biopharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:GALE) . You can see .
Heska’s earnings estimates moved up from $1.53 to $1.65 for 2017 and from $1.90 to $2.01 for 2018, over the last 60 days. The company posted a positive earnings surprise in all of the last four quarters, with an average beat of 291.54%. Its share price increased 40.7% year to date.
Galena Biopharma‘s loss estimates narrowed from $2.27 to 58 cents for 2017 and from 92 cents to 73 cents for 2018, over the last 60 days. The company posted a positive earnings surprise in two of the four trailing quarters with an average beat of 53.83%.
The Best & Worst of Zacks
Today you are invited to download the full, up-to-the-minute list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 "Strong Buys" free of charge. From 1988 through 2015 this list has averaged a stellar gain of +25% per year. Plus, you may download 220 Zacks Rank #5 "Strong Sells." Even though this list holds many stocks that seem to be solid, it has historically performed 6X worse than the market. Zacks Investment Research
Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.