Dr. Bhave on Promising Anti-HER2 Agents in HER2+ Breast Cancer

Manali Bhave, MD, an assistant professor, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University School of Medicine, discusses promising anti-HER2 agents in metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.

Several drugs are showing promise in heavily pretreated patients, including margetuximab and ZW25, says Bhave. Margetuximab has demonstrated promising activity in patients with prior exposure to trastuzumab (Herceptin), taxane-based chemotherapy, and ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1; Kadcyla). It is a monoclonal antibody with an Fc component that was designed to enhance immune response and antibody-mediated cytotoxicity, explains Bhave. In the randomized phase III SOPHIA trial, investigators reported a high overall response rate and improved progression-free survival in patients who received margetuximab, despite having received several prior lines of therapy.

ZW25 is a bispecific HER2-directed antibody that targets 2 epitopes of the HER2 domain; it binds at the trastuzumab domain and the pertuzumab domain, adds Bhave. This agent has also shown potent single-agent activity in heavily pretreated patients with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer. Specifically, objective responses reaching close to 50% or 60% have been reported.