Hiroji Iwata, MD, PhD, vice director and chief of Breast Oncology at Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, discusses final overall survival (OS) results from the phase 3 IMpassion130 trial in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

The pivotal phase 3 IMpassion130 trial evaluated atezolizumab (Tecentriq) plus nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane) versus placebo plus nab-paclitaxel in patients with previously untreated, locally advanced or metastatic TNBC, Iwata says.

On March 8, 2019, the FDA granted an accelerated approval to this regimen for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic TNBC whose tumors express PD-L1. This regimen also received regulatory approval in Japan, as well as in Europe, Iwata adds.

Final OS results, which were presented during the 

 demonstrated that, in the in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population, the median OS was 21.0 months with atezolizumab plus nab-paclitaxel versus 18.7 with nab-paclitaxel alone. In the PD-L1–positive group, the median OS was 25.4 months with the combination versus 17.9 months with nab-paclitaxel alone.

Although the difference in OS between the 2 arms was not statistically significant in the ITT population, clinically meaningful OS benefit was observed in PD-L1–positive patients, Iwata concludes.

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Hiroji Iwata, MD, PhD, vice director and chief of Breast Oncology at Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, discusses final overall survival results from the phase 3 IMpassion130 trial in triple-negative breast cancer. 

Dr. Iwata on Final OS Results From the Phase 3 IMpassion130 Trial in TNBC 

Hiroji Iwata, MD, PhD, vice director and chief of Breast Oncology at Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, discusses DS-8201a in HER2-positive breast cancer.

Trastuzumab deruxtecan (DS-8201a) has a breakthrough therapy designation by the FDA for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive, locally advanced, or metastatic breast cancer who have been treated with trastuzumab (Herceptin) and pertuzumab (Perjeta) and have disease progression after ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1; Kadcyla). Long-term findings from a phase I study presented at the 2018 ASCO Annual meeting showed that this antibody-drug conjugate had antitumor activity in multiple tumor types that expressed varying levels of HER2.

The HER2-positive population is very sensitive to anti-HER2 therapies, says Iwata. Activity with these agents is particularly promising in metastatic breast cancer, however, the HER2-low breast cancer population does not show as impressive results. DS-8201a has a characteristic called the bystander effect, which permeates the membrane, resulting in benefit for both HER2-overexpressing and HER2-low tumors.

Hiroji Iwata, MD, PhD, vice director and chief of Breast Oncology at Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, discusses DS-8201a in HER2-positive breast cancer.
 

Hiroji Iwata, MD, PhD

Articles

Dr. Iwata on Final OS Results From the Phase 3 IMpassion130 Trial in TNBC

Dr. Iwata Discusses DS-8201a in HER2+ Breast Cancer