Singapore: A phase III trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of the addition of Tarceva (erlotinib) tablets to Nexavar (sorafenib) tablets did not show improvement in overall survival of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) against Nexavar alone.

Bayer HealthCare, Onyx Pharmaceuticals and Astellas Pharma made the announcement. The SEARCH (Sorafenib and Erlotinib, a randomized trial protocol for the treatment of patients with Hepatocellular carcinoma) trial compared Nexavar in combination with Tarceva to Nexavar alone. The safety and tolerability of the treatment combination were generally as expected based upon experience and use of the two products alone and there were no new or unexpected toxicities or changes to the respective product safety profiles observed. Data from this study will be presented at an upcoming scientific meeting. Nexavar is jointly developed by Bayer and Onyx. Tarceva is jointly marketed by Astellas and Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.

"The data from SEARCH showed that the addition of Tarceva to Nexavar did not provide additional benefit to patients with unresectable HCC," said Dr Dimitris Voliotis, vice president, Global Clinical Development Oncology, Bayer HealthCare. "The results of this trial confirm the efficacy and safety profile of Nexavar in the treatment of unresectable liver cancer."