Joining DS-8201 as a likely FDA approval in early 2020 is tucatinib, a HER2-targeted small molecule TKI that I’ve been fangirling for years. If this keeps up, I’m going to be able to treat my cancer with actual new medicine and not just mental fortitude.
Not to malign the Herceptin-plus-X paradigm that’s bridged me all this time, but it’s been a while since the T-DM1 and Perjeta launches of 2013. In metastatic cancer years, it’s a real long while.
Onto the successes of HER2CLIMB, Cascadian Therapeutics’ (now Seattle Genetics’) phase III trial comparing tucatinib + Herceptin + Xeloda to placebo + Herceptin + Xeloda. The trial enrolled 612 subjects and was randomized 2:1, and subjects had been previously treated with Herceptin, Perjeta and T-DM1. The press release notes that 47% of subjects had brain mets at the time of enrollment. A classic placebo-controlled RCT in a tough crowd? Yes, please. What’s not to like about these guys?
We don’t know a lot yet, with actual numbers to be presented at San Antonio. But to pull the highlights from the press release:
- Tucatinib + H/Xeloda combo met its primary PFS endpoint, with a 46% reduction in risk of PD or death compared to placebo + H/Xeloda
- Among secondary endpoints, OS was superior for the tucatinib arm versus placebo + H/Xeloda, with a 34% reduction in risk of death
- For patients with brain mets at baseline, tucatinib + H/Xeloda offered a 52 percent reduction in the risk of PD or death compared to placebo + H/Xeloda
Not a bad teaser, right? Congrats, Cascadian.
B4 U Consent 