Roche's Alecensa bests Pfizer's Xalkori in lung cancer trial

By Deena BeasleyCHICAGO (Reuters) - Roche Holding AG's Alecensa halted the spread of lung cancer for a median of 15 months longer than treatment with rival Pfizer Inc's Xalkori with fewer side effects, according to trial results presented on Monday.Both drugs are designed to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer in patients with a mutation of the ALK gene, which is found in about 5 percent of all NSCLC patients.About 12,500 Americans are diagnosed with ALK-positive NSCLC each year, according