"Roches Tecentriq immunotherapy combined with other drugs boosted lung cancer patients survival versus an older cocktail the Swiss company said as it seeks an edge on Merck and BristolMyers Squibb.  Mixing Tecentriq with Avastin and carboplatin and paclitaxel boosted overall survival in firstline treatment of nonsquamous nonsmall cell lung cancer Roche said on Monday compared to patients who received only Avastin plus the two chemotherapies.  The latest trial success follows Roches announcement last week about a separate study in which Tecentriq mixed with chemotherapies carboplatin and Abraxane boosted progressionfree survival compared with chemotherapy alone in firstline treatment of patients with advanced squamous nonsmall cell lung cancer.  The Baselbased company which had previously announced Tecentriq Avastin and chemotherapy had reduced the risk of disease progression or death said on Monday it hopes for a quick approval from authorities for the cocktail.  While Roche did not provide specific overall survival data the headline result helps its bid to catch up to betterestablished immunotherapies from Merck and BristolMyers Squibb and its shares rose about  percent in early trading.  We are pleased the IMpower study demonstrated a clinically meaningful survival benefit for people receiving their initial treatment for this type of advanced lung cancer said Sandra Horning Roches chief medical officer.  She also said the survival benefit was observed across key subgroups including those with varying levels of a protein called PDL that can help tumors avoid detection. This could help Roche make the case that its cocktail is suitable for broad patients groups not just those with specific biomarkers.  The worlds biggest maker of cancer drugs is counting on growing sales of Tecentriq which notched  million Swiss francs in  to help offset falling revenue from its older cancer medicines Avastin Rituxan and Herceptin whose patent expirations are exposing them to rivals cheaper copies.  Analysts from Baader Helvea said its announcement completes an already robust set of data for regulators who now must sign off on Tecentriqs use as an initial treatment of lung cancer.  We continue to see Roche efficacy more than sufficiently competitive to grant a  percent market share in the indication translating in . billion francs Tecentriq peak sales and . billion francs in  Baaders Bruno Bulic said.  Facing biosimilar competition... we see Tecentriq sales coming timely to support Roches profitability going forward.  Reporting by John Miller editing by Brenna Hughes NeghaiwiLouise HeavensAlexander Smith Our StandardsThe Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. httpthomsonreuters.comenaboutustrustprinciples.html"