Roche Holding AG botched to encourage Britain's cost regulator to re- use the Tarceva tablet for the treatment of cancer. All this echoes the problem of this Swiss company with the government. The government considers the price of the pill to be too expensive.

Britain's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) stated that it will be going with its previous decision of suggesting the health authorities of not using the drug for the cancer patients.

NICE said that it feels there is a lot of doubt on the time or increase in the survival strategy involved with the treatment by this drug. NICE stated, "Based on the evidence available the drug was not considered value for money". The treatment of Tarceva can cost between $ 30,000 and $ 60,000 per year, with unsure results.

Roche claimed that the treatment with Tarceva can increase the life span for around 3.3 months. This statement of Roche was questioned by the NICE. The Swiss Company answered that the patients can get the treatment in England through the Cancer Drugs Funds, which assists in providing extra funds to the doctors and their patients.

According to analysts, Roche can earn around $200 million to $300 million from Avastin through breast cancer sales in the US.