A. Company Profile

Genentech (NASDAQ:DNA) is the founder of the world's biotechnology industry and one of the world's leading biotech companies. The company's product portfolio includes innovative treatments across a wide range of therapeutic areas. There are extensive discovery and development programs in the field of oncology at Genentech.

B. Products

Product Pipelines

Product

Indication

Clinical Status

Avastin

Colorectal cancer

Market

Breast and non-small cell lung cancers

Phase III

Herceptin (Transtuzumab)

Breast Cancer

Market

Omnitarg

Breast cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer

Phase II

Rituxan (Rituximab)

Non-hodgkin's lymphoma

Market

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Phase III

Tarceva

Non-small cell lung and pancreatic cancers

Phase III

Brains tumor

Phase II

1. Avastin

Avastin is an investigational recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody to vascular endothelial cell growth factor (rhuMAb-VEGF). Avastin, formerly known as anti-VEGF is designed to bind to and inhibit VEGF, a protein that plays a critical role in tumor angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels to the tumor) and maintenance of established tumor blood vessels. VEGF stimulates new blood vessel formation, or angiogenesis, by binding to specific receptors on nearby blood vessels to stimulate extensions to existing blood vessels. Research has shown that angiogenesis, by supplying blood to tumors, plays an important role in both tumor growth and metastasis. Avastin is a humanized monoclonal antibody, rhuMAb-VEGF, that is designed to bind to VEGF preventing it from binding to its receptors and therefore potentially inhibiting tumor growth.

2. Herceptin

Herceptin (Trastuzumab) is a humanized antibody approved for the treatment of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) positive metastatic breast cancer. Herceptin is designed to target and block the function of HER2 protein overexpression. Research has shown that women with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer have a more aggressive disease, greater likelihood of recurrence, poorer prognosis and approximately half the life expectancy of women with HER2 negative breast cancer.

3. Omnitarg

Omnitarg is a humanized monoclonal antibody and the first in a new class of agents known as HER dimerization inhibitors (HDIs). HDIs block the ability of the HER2 receptor to partner with other HER receptor family members (HER1/EGFR, HER3, and HER4). In cancer cells, interfering with HER2's ability to partner with other HER family receptors blocks cell signaling and may ultimately lead to cancer cell growth inhibition and death. Because of their unique mode of action, HDIs have the potential to work in a wide variety of tumors, including those that do not overexpress HER2.

4. Rituxan

Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in November 1997, Rituxan was the first therapeutic antibody used for treating cancer in the United States.

Rituxan is indicated for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory, low-grade or follicular, CD20-positive, B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL).

Rituxan works by binding to a particular protein (the CD20 antigen) on the surface of normal and malignant B-cells. From there, it recruits the body's natural defenses to attack and kill the marked B-cells. Stem cells (B-cell progenitors) in bone marrow lack the CD20 antigen, allowing healthy B-cells to regenerate after treatment and return to normal levels within several months.

Genentech and BiogenIdec are co-developing Rituxan.

5. Tarceva

Tarceva is a small molecule designed to target the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER1) pathway, also known as EGFR, which is critical to cell growth in many cancers. HER1/EGFR is a key component of the HER signaling pathway, which is often involved in the formation and growth of numerous cancers. Tarceva is designed to inhibit specifically the tyrosine kinase activity of HER1/EGFR, thereby blocking the signaling pathway with the intent of potentially inhibiting tumor cell growth.

Genentech and OSI are co-developing Tarceva.