The Swiss drugmaker Roche reported today that their phase II/III SKYSCRAPER-06 research did not meet its primary objectives. This trial compared the combination of their medicine, Tecentriq (atezolizumab), with an investigational drug, tiragolumab, and chemotherapy against another treatment that included pembrolizumab and chemotherapy. The study included individuals with advanced, untreated non-squamous, non-small cell lung cancer. 

In a statement, Roche said that initial data shows that the trial failed to achieve its primary objectives of preventing cancer from progressing or increasing survival rates. 

Regarding progression-free survival (PFS), the study found a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.27, indicating that the combined treatment was less effective than the comparator. 

The hazard ratio for overall survival (OS) was 1.33, demonstrating a similar pattern. Both HRs show that the new therapy combination will have worse results than the previous treatment choice. 

Despite these poor results, the safety profile of tiragolumab, Tecentriq, and chemotherapy was similar to earlier studies, with no new safety concerns identified, the statement added. 

However, due to the lack of efficacy, Roche discontinued the study and notified patients and investigators. 

"These results are disappointing because we had hoped that this combination would improve outcomes for people with metastatic non-squamous lung cancer," said Dr Levi Garraway, Roche's Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development. 

"We are thankful to all of the patients and healthcare professionals involved in the study, and we will leverage the learnings to inform our scientific understanding of the anti-TIGIT pathway and new avenues in cancer research," he added.

Roche said that it is still undertaking phase III studies to investigate various therapeutic settings and indications for tiragolumab. 

These findings will be used to evaluate the current programme and make any necessary improvements. Health authorities will discuss the precise findings and present them at a forthcoming medical forum, the statement added.