Interestingly, scientists said, neither Afinitor nor pertuzumab on their own are especially effective against breast cancer.

WSJ: Breast-Cancer Drugs Raise Hopes

He said that pertuzumab in combination with Herceptin essentially provides a dual blockage of HER2.

WSJ: Breast-Cancer Drugs Raise Hopes

They include Pertuzumab, a drug that seeks to treat adjudavant breast cancer, and a product named TDM1, designed for patients suffering from refractory breast cancer.

FORBES: Roche Accelerates Defense Strategy to Protect Breast-Cancer Drug Herceptin's Turf

Researchers said the new findings for both Afinitor and pertuzumab were sufficient to begin testing it in earlier-stage cancer, before the disease spreads to other parts of the body.

WSJ: Breast-Cancer Drugs Raise Hopes

The trial of pertuzumab is called the Cleopatra study.

WSJ: Breast-Cancer Drugs Raise Hopes