13th Sep 2024 17:00
(Alliance News) - Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd and AstraZeneca PLC on Friday reported "substantial clinical activity" for Enhertu in a recent clinical trial.
Trastuzumab deruxtecan, which is branded as Enhertu, is a HER2-directed DXd antibody drug conjugate.
The Destiny-Breast12 phase 3b/4 trial investigated its use in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer and brain metastases - which is when the cancer cells spread from their original location to the brain.
Up to 50% of patients with this type of breast cancer will see the disease spread to their brain, said Nancy Lin, the trial's principal investigator.
The spread "significantly impacts quality of life and outcomes", Lin added.
Median overall survival for breast cancer patients who have developed brain metastases is eight months, depending on subtype and treatment.
The companies said that Enhertu showed "substantial" overall and intracranial clinical activity in a large cohort of patients.
For progression-free survival - the primary endpoint of the trial - Enhertu achieved a 12-month rate of 61.6%. For an additional endpoint of central nervous system 12-month PFS, it achieved a rate of 58.9%.
"Building on previous studies, these results show Enhertu can provide strong overall and intracranial clinical activity and support its potential role in treating patients with active or stable brain metastases," said Mark Rutstein, global head of Oncology Clinical Development at Daiichi.
Daiichi Sankyo is jointly developing and commercialising Enhertu with Cambridge, England-based biopharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca.
Shares in Astra closed down 1.0% at 11,928.00 pence each in London on Friday, while Daiichi had earlier closed up 0.9% at JPY5,135.00 in Tokyo.
By Elizabeth Winter, Alliance News deputy news editor, Global services
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