Hoffmann-La Roche Limited (Roche Canada) announced that on March 13, 2024, Health Canada issued marketing authorization for Tecentriq SC (atezolizumab, solution for subcutaneous injection), the first cancer immunotherapy for subcutaneous (under the skin injection) administration in Canada, for specific indications in lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC or liver cancer), and breast cancer. Until now, Tecentriq has been given directly into patients' veins by IV infusion, which takes approximately 30-60 minutes. The new subcutaneous injection aims to provide an alternative active administration time of approximately seven minutes, with injections taking between three and fourteen minutes.

In addition to offering an alternative administration time, Tecentriq SC has the potential to be administered outside of the hospital, in a community care setting or at a patient's home, by a qualified healthcare professional. By providing this additional option, Company aim to demonstrate commitment to investing in and delivering innovative solutions that bring additional value to patients, and alleviate existing burdens in constrained healthcare systems. Roche Canada now looks forward to working together with the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA), as well as the provincial and territorial governments, to achieve sustainable, equitable access to Tecentriq SC. Company is hopeful that the unique value of Tecentriq SC for patients, healthcare providers and healthcare systems will be recognized and made available to all Canadian patients who need it.

The marketing authorization of Tecentriq SC is based on results from the pivotal data from Part 2 of the Phase IB/III IMscin001 study, which showed that treatment with Tecentriq SC produced non-inferior levels of atezolizumab in the blood versus intravenous administration of Tecentriq. The marketing authorization applies to all authorized indications of Tecentriq (intravenous formulation), with specific indications in lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC or liver cancer), and breast cancer, providing this additional option to patients in all eight indications, in three cancer areas.