Dr. Isaacs Discusses Sacituzumab Govitecan in TNBC

Claudine Isaacs, MD, professor, medical director, Fisher Center for Familial Cancer Research, co-director, Breast Cancer Program, Georgetown University/Lombardi Cancer Center, discusses sacituzumab govitecan (IMMU-132) for the treatment of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Sacituzumab govitecan targets TROP-2, which is an antigen present in a significant proportion of patients with TNBC. It is bound to a fairly toxic chemotherapy, Isaacs says, which is the active metabolite of irinotecan, SN-38. This is linked with a humanized IgG antibody targeted against TROP-2, a cell-surface glycoprotein that is expressed in more than 90% of TNBC.

In a recent study, treatment with sacituzumab govitecan elicited an objective response rate (ORR) of 34% in patients with heavily pretreated metastatic TNBC. In this 110-patient single-arm trial, the ORR was accompanied by stable disease for ≥6 months in 11% of patients, for an overall disease control rate of 45%.

In February 2016, the FDA granted a breakthrough therapy designation to sacituzumab govitecan as a treatment for TNBC following at least 2 treatments for metastatic disease. Discussion regarding a biologics license application are currently ongoing.