scholarly journals Implementing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in HER2-positive breast cancer: state of the art and future directions

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emanuela Ferraro ◽  
Joshua Z. Drago ◽  
Shanu Modi
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Residual Disease ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Her2 Positive ◽  
Antibody Drug Conjugates ◽  
Her2 Positive Breast Cancer ◽  
Drug Conjugates ◽  
Metastatic Setting ◽  
Antibody Drug ◽  
Positive Breast Cancer

AbstractThe development of anti-HER2 agents has been one of the most meaningful advancements in the management of metastatic breast cancer, significantly improving survival outcomes. Despite the efficacy of anti-HER2 monoclonal antibodies, concurrent chemotherapy is still needed to maximize response. Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a class of therapeutics that combines an antigen-specific antibody backbone with a potent cytotoxic payload, resulting in an improved therapeutic index. Two anti-HER2 ADCs have been approved by the FDA with different indications in HER2-positive breast cancer. Ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) was the first-in-class HER2-targeting ADC, initially approved in 2013 for metastatic patients who previously received trastuzumab and a taxane, and the label was expanded in 2019 to include adjuvant treatment of high-risk patients with residual disease after neoadjuvant taxane and trastuzumab-based therapy. In 2020, trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) was the second approved ADC for patients who had received at least 2 lines of anti-HER2-based therapy in the metastatic setting. The success of these two agents has transformed the treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer and has re-energized the field of ADC development. Given their advanced pharmaceutical properties, next-generation HER2-targeted ADCs have the potential to be active beyond traditional HER2-positive breast cancer and may be effective in cells with low expression of HER2 or ERBB2 mutations, opening a spectrum of new possible clinical applications. Ongoing challenges include improving target-specificity, optimizing the toxicity profile, and identifying biomarkers for patient selection. The aim of this review is to summarize the principal molecular, clinical, and safety characteristics of approved and experimental anti-HER2 ADCs, contextualizing the current and future landscape of drug development.

scholarly journals The Resurgence of Antibody Drug Conjugates in Cancer Therapeutics: Novel Targets and Payloads

2020 ◽  
pp. e58-e74
Author(s):  
Valentina Boni ◽  
Manish R. Sharma ◽  
Amita Patnaik
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Target Selection ◽  
Antigen Specificity ◽  
Her2 Positive ◽  
Antibody Drug Conjugates ◽  
Her2 Positive Breast Cancer ◽  
Drug Conjugates ◽  
Metastatic Urothelial Cancer ◽  
Antibody Drug ◽  
Positive Breast Cancer

Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) are an emerging class of therapeutics that consist of a cytotoxic agent linked covalently to an antibody, which is directed toward a specific cell surface target expressed by tumor cells and/or the microenvironment. ADCs leverage the specificity of the antibody such that it functions as a carrier to deliver the cytotoxic payload into the tumor. Four parameters are considered critical for this class of complex engineered therapeutics: target selection, antibody, cytotoxic payload, as well as conjugation and linker technology. The development of this class of drugs has proven more complex than expected. Several challenges have arisen, including a lack of true tumor antigen specificity, early release of the cytotoxic payload into the bloodstream due to linker instability, and low potency of the payload, resulting in either greater toxicity or lack of improved efficacy compared with unconjugated cytotoxics. The approval of trastuzumab emtansine in 2013 for HER2-positive breast cancer served as a proof of concept that ADCs have therapeutic application in solid tumors. Two novel ADCs have recently been approved: trastuzumab deruxtecan for HER2-positive breast cancer and enfortumab vedotin for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial cancer. Trastuzumab deruxtecan is distinguished by a unique biochemical structure with a novel cytotoxic payload, deruxtecan—a highly potent, topoisomerase I inhibitor. Enfortumab vedotin is directed toward nectin-4 and represents an example of successful and strategic target selection. This review focuses on the concepts underlying the choice of suitable targets and novel payloads, discusses specific examples of ADCs in preclinical and clinical development, and provides future directions related to this unique class of therapeutics.

scholarly journals Antibody-drug conjugates in HER2-positive breast cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Lixi Li ◽  
Di Zhang ◽  
Binliang Liu ◽  
Dan Lv ◽  
Jingtong Zhai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Her2 Positive ◽  
Antibody Drug Conjugates ◽  
Her2 Positive Breast Cancer ◽  
Drug Conjugates ◽  
Antibody Drug ◽  
Positive Breast Cancer

scholarly journals Antibody–Drug Conjugates for the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2898
Author(s):  
Chiara Corti ◽  
Federica Giugliano ◽  
Eleonora Nicolò ◽  
Liliana Ascione ◽  
Giuseppe Curigliano
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Bystander Effect ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Therapeutic Index ◽  
Cytotoxic Agents ◽  
Target Antigen ◽  
Her2 Positive ◽  
Antibody Drug Conjugates ◽  
Drug Conjugates ◽  
Antibody Drug

Metastatic breast cancer (BC) is currently an incurable disease. Besides endocrine therapy and targeted agents, chemotherapy is often used in the treatment of this disease. However, lack of tumor specificity and toxicity associated with dose exposure limit the manageability of cytotoxic agents. Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are a relatively new class of anticancer drugs. By merging the selectivity of monoclonal antibodies with the cytotoxic properties of chemotherapy, they improve the therapeutic index of antineoplastic agents. Three core components characterize ADCs: the antibody, directed to a target antigen; the payload, typically a cytotoxic agent; a linker, connecting the antibody to the payload. The most studied target antigen is HER2 with some agents, such as trastuzumab deruxtecan, showing activity not only in HER2-positive, but also in HER2-low BC patients, possibly due to a bystander effect. This property to provide a cytotoxic impact also against off-target cancer cells may overcome the intratumoral heterogeneity of some target antigens. Other cancer-associated antigens represent a strategy for the development of ADCs against triple-negative BC, as shown by the recent approval of sacituzumab govitecan. In this review, we discuss the current landscape of ADC development for the treatment of BC, as well as the possible limitations of this treatment.

scholarly journals Real-world effectiveness of post-trastuzumab emtansine treatment in patients with HER2-positive, unresectable and/or metastatic breast cancer: a retrospective observational study (KBCSG-TR 1917)

BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Nakayama ◽  
Tetsuhiro Yoshinami ◽  
Hiroyuki Yasojima ◽  
Nobuyoshi Kittaka ◽  
Masato Takahashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Metastatic Breast Cancer ◽  
Observational Study ◽  
Real World ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Trastuzumab Emtansine ◽  
Her2 Positive ◽  
The Real ◽  
Her2 Positive Breast Cancer ◽  
Positive Breast Cancer

Abstract Background Trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) is a second-line standard therapy for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer. Evidence regarding post–T-DM1 treatments is currently lacking. We evaluated the effectiveness of post–T-DM1 drug therapy in patients with HER2-positive, unresectable and/or metastatic breast cancer. Methods In this multicenter, retrospective, observational study, real-world clinical data of female patients with HER2-positive breast cancer who had a history of T-DM1 treatment were consecutively collected from five sites in Japan. We investigated the effectiveness of post–T-DM1 therapy by evaluating the real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS), time to treatment failure (TTF), overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), and clinical benefit rate (CBR). Tumor response was assessed by investigators according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST version 1.1) guidelines. Subgroup and exploratory analyses according to background factors were also undertaken. Results Of the 205 patients who received T-DM1 treatment between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2018, 128 were included in this study. Among the 128 patients analyzed, 105 (82%) patients received anti-HER2 therapy and 23 (18%) patients received regimens without anti-HER2 therapy. Median (95% confidence interval [CI]) rwPFS, TTF, and OS were 5.7 (4.8–6.9) months, 5.6 (4.6–6.4) months, and 22.8 (18.2–32.4) months, respectively. CBR and ORR (95% CI) were 48% (38.8–56.7) and 23% (15.1–31.4), respectively. Cox-regression analysis showed that an ECOG PS score of 0, a HER2 immunohistochemistry score of 3+, recurrent type, ≥12 month duration of T-DM1 therapy, and anti-HER2 therapy were independent variables for rwPFS. An exploratory subgroup analysis of regimens after T-DM1 showed that those with anti-HER2 therapy had a median rwPFS of 6.3 and those without anti-HER2 therapy had a median rwPFS of 4.8 months. Conclusions In the real-world setting in Japan, several post–T-DM1 regimens for patients with unresectable and/or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, including continuation of anti-HER2 therapy, showed some effectiveness; however, this effectiveness was insufficient. Novel therapeutic options are still needed for further improvement of PFS and OS in later treatment settings. Trial registration UMIN000038296; registered on 15 October 2019.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan in previously treated HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: Plain language summary of the DESTINY-Breast01 study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanu Modi
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Metastatic Breast ◽  
Common Adverse Event ◽  
The Body ◽  
Plain Language ◽  
Her2 Positive ◽  
Serious Adverse Events ◽  
Her2 Positive Breast Cancer ◽  
Positive Breast Cancer

This is a summary of the article discussing the results of the DESTINY-Breast01 study originally published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The DESTINY-Breast01 study is a clinical study in participants with a type of breast cancer called HER2-positive breast cancer. The participants in the study received a treatment called trastuzumab deruxtecan, also known as T-DXd. The purpose of this summary is to help you understand the results of the DESTINY-Breast01 study. T-DXd is currently available as a treatment for adults with HER2-positive breast cancer that cannot be removed by surgery, also called unresectable, or that has spread, also called metastatic. In the DESTINY-Breast01 study, all the participants had HER2-positive breast cancer that was metastatic or unresectable. All participants were required to have had previous treatment for their HER2-positive breast cancer with another treatment, called trastuzumab emtansine or T-DM1. All the participants received T-DXd every 3 weeks. Part 1 was done to learn how T-DXd acted in the body, and to choose a dose to give to all the participants in Part 2. In Part 2, 184 participants received T-DXd at 5.4 mg/kg and the results showed that T-DXd reduced tumor growth. Up to 60.9% of the participants had their tumors shrink or disappear, with a treatment response that lasted for nearly 15 months on average. The participants lived with their cancer for around 16 months before it got worse. During the study, 183 out of 184 participants had side effects, known as adverse events. The most common adverse event was nausea. There were 42 participants (22.8%) who had serious adverse events, including lung toxicity. These results suggest that T-DXd could be a treatment option for people with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have already been treated with T-DM1. Additional studies will provide more information and results about T-DXd. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT number: NCT03248492 To read the full Plain Language Summary of this article, click on the View Article button above and download the PDF. Link to original article here .

scholarly journals Mechanisms of resistance to trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in HER2-positive breast cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 603-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francis W. Hunter ◽  
Hilary R. Barker ◽  
Barbara Lipert ◽  
Françoise Rothé ◽  
Géraldine Gebhart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Resistance Mechanisms ◽  
Trastuzumab Emtansine ◽  
Her2 Positive ◽  
Her2 Positive Breast Cancer ◽  
Egfr Expression ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Antibody Drug ◽  
Positive Breast Cancer

AbstractThe HER2-targeted antibody–drug conjugate trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) is approved for the treatment of metastatic, HER2-positive breast cancer after prior trastuzumab and taxane therapy, and has also demonstrated efficacy in the adjuvant setting in incomplete responders to neoadjuvant therapy. Despite its objective activity, intrinsic and acquired resistance to T-DM1 remains a major clinical challenge. T-DM1 mediates its activity in a number of ways, encompassing HER2 signalling blockade, Fc-mediated immune response and payload-mediated microtubule poisoning. Resistance mechanisms relating to each of these features have been demonstrated, and we outline the findings of these studies in this review. In our overview of the substantial literature on T-DM1 activity and resistance, we conclude that the T-DM1 resistance mechanisms most strongly supported by the experimental data relate to dysfunctional intracellular metabolism of the construct and subversion of DM1-mediated cell killing. Loss of dependence on signalling initiated by HER2–HER2 homodimers is not substantiated as a resistance mechanism by clinical or experimental studies, and the impact of EGFR expression and tumour immunological status requires further investigation. These findings are instructive with respect to strategies that might overcome T-DM1 resistance, including the use of second-generation anti-HER2 antibody–drug conjugates that deploy alternative linker-payload chemistries.

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