EU approves Roche's Cotellic in combo therapy against skin cancer

Reuters
Swiss drugmaker Roche's logo is seen at their headquarters in Basel, Switzerland October 22, 2015. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

ZURICH (Reuters) - The European Union gave its green light to Roche's Cotellic for use in combination with the drug Zelboraf against advanced melanoma, the company said on Wednesday. Roche is counting on Cotellic to help it revive flagging sales of five-year-old Zelboraf, which dropped 25 percent during the first nine months of 2015. It has been under intense pressure from rivals' drugs as the standard of care moves to combination therapy. The Food and Drug Administration approved the Cotellic-Zelboraf combination in the United States earlier this month, with approval from Switzerland in August. (Reporting by John Miller)