At a meeting of oncologists the two companies were slated to present impressive results of human trials, suggesting the drugs added months to the lives of late-stage cancer patients.

FORBES: Targeting Tumors

Last year, Avastin failed to help breast cancer patients in a late-stage trial.

FORBES: Magazine Article

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved vandetanib to treat adult patients with late-stage (metastatic) medullarythyroid cancer who are ineligible for surgery and who have disease that is growing or causing symptoms.

FORBES: AstraZeneca's Victory Highlights Difficulty Of Cancer Drug Development

Based on the new resultsRoche is planning to launch a late-stage trial of its PD-L1 inhibitor in lung-cancer patients, while Bristol-Myers is moving its combination regimen into late-phase studies as well.

WSJ: New Cancer Drugs Harness Power of Immune System

In a late-stage clinical trial, Avastin failed to help patients with metastatic breast cancer.

FORBES: Why Cancer Drugs Need Genetic Testing

Genentech (nyse: DNA - news - people ) shares have doubled since May when a late-stage 900-patient study showed that Avastin significantly extended the lives of colorectal cancer patients.

FORBES: Magazine Article