GSK to study breast cancer drug

A treatment for breast cancer is to be tested globally, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has announced.

The company will enter into the global phase III study in partnership with the Breast International Group (BIG), an academic breast cancer research network, plus member group the Spanish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (SBCCG).

Specifically the study will look at the role of Tykerb or Tyverb (lapatinib) in the treatment stages of the disease in its early stages.

Paolo Paoletti, senior-vice president of GSK’s Oncology Medicines Development Centre, said: “This important global phase III study ? demonstrates the ? importance of identifying the most effective treatment regimen for patients with early stage ErbB2-positive breast cancer.”

Breast cancer is the main global cause by cancer of women and between 20 per cent and 85 per cent of women diagnosed with early breast cancer will either get it again or develop metastatic disease, GSK says.

Support organisation Breast Charity UK says that only about ten per cent of breast cancer cases can be linked to heredity.