Perjeta is a genetically engineered molecule that targets the HER-2 protein, the same protein targeted by the drug Herceptin.
FORBES: Exciting New Breast Cancer Drug Poised to Break the Bank?
Because of his work, Genentech knew to give the drug only to those patients with elevated HER-2, a much more specific target.
Now Slamon pushes a new diagnostic test to spot the HER-2 gene.
These patients have tumors that overproduce a protein known as HER-2.
Had the company instead tested Herceptin on a broad range of patients, its trials likely would have failed because most breast tumors aren't driven by HER-2.
Separately, Genentech is doing early-stage testing of 2C4, a drug that works by a novel mechanism to simultaneously disrupt both Her-2 and EGF in a variety of tumor types.
In addition to Tarceva and Avastin, it sells the breast cancer drug Herceptin, which targets a gene called Her-2 that is defective in about 25% of breast cancer patients.
But Genentech had avoided aiming Herceptin at all patients with breast cancer, instead picking out only a small subset: the 25% of patients whose tumors contained ultrahigh levels of HER-2.
In the late 1980s he found that 25% to 30% of breast tumors, including some of the worst cases, had ultrahigh levels of a gene called HER-2 and its protein.
The researchers, from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, found that when two proteins, called AIB1 and HER-2, are present in high levels in the cells of women who have had breast cancer, their tumours are resistant to the cancer-fighting effects of tamoxifen.
And Spain's Magui Serna of Spain ousted Paola Suarez of Argentina 6-2 2-6 6-2 in her first-round tie.
This victory by Serena surpassed her 6-2, 6-2 win over Venus at Miami in 2002.
Given the support Li enjoyed in her 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 2-ranked Maria Sharapova, there's no question which player the crowd will favor in the title match.
Benesova will face 16th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova , who beat Kristina Barrois 6-2 6-2 in her second-round tie.
In a match that lasted an hour and 33 minutes, Clijsters took the first set that saw her take a 2-0 lead before Wozniacki, in her first grand slam final, took the next four games to go 4-2.
The sixth seed defeated Czech Lucie Safarova 6-2 6-2, her 27th win in 28 encounters with left-handed players, to set up a clash with unseeded Austrian Sybille Bammer.
The Irish dropped just 20 games in her four years, including a 35-2 mark her senior year.
Half of that was for lost wages which was reported to her on W-2.
She'd just said goodbye to her 2-year-old son and would not see him for the next eight months.
In women's action, Petra Kvitova put the Czech Republic into the semifinals of Fed Cup on Sunday, as her 2-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 win over Samantha Stosur gave the two-time defending champions an unbeatable 3-0 lead against Australia in Prague.
In an absorbing decider, Petrova clawed her way back from 0-2 down but Williams gritted her teeth again and clinched it when the fifth seed netted a service return.
"I have mixed feelings at the moment, " the 23-year-old said after her 6-4 6-2 defeat.
Yvette Johnson has already picked out a computer-spreadsheet class she wants to take during her daily noon-to-2 p.m. break, and she's aiming for management.
Number 14 seed Flavia Pennetta demolished her fellow Italian Roberta Vinci 6-1 6-1, 19th seed Nadia Petrova was similarly comfortable in her 6-1 6-2 win against Agnes Szavay, and Alexandra Dulgheru eased past Timea Bacsinszky 6-4 6-2.
The 16-year-old, who lost in the final round of qualifying for the senior competition, easily beat her Slovakian opponent 6-2 6-1 on Court 14.
The 20-year-old Belgian, who won her appeal against a one-year ban for failing to report her whereabouts for doping tests, defeated top seed Flavia Pennetta 6-3 6-2 to clinch her third WTA Tour title.
And ninth seed Daniela Hantuchova saw off France's Alize Cornet 6-2 7-5 to continue her progress.
Dias, formerly from suburban Cincinnati, now lives in Atlanta with her partner and their 2-year-old daughter.
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