Dr. Li on the Results of the DESTINY-Lung01 Trial in HER2+ Metastatic NSCLC

Bob T. Li, MD, PhD, MPH, medical oncologist, physician ambassador to China and Asia-Pacific, Bobst International Center, co-director, Thoracic Liquid Biopsy Program, chief scientific officer, MSK Direct, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the results of the phase 2 DESTINY-Lung01 trial (NCT03505710) in HER2-positive metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Findings from the DESTINY-Lung01 trial, which were presented during the 2021 ESMO Congress, demonstrated robust and durable anticancer activity with the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu) in patients with previously treated HER2-mutated NSCLC. Moreover, efficacy was consistently observed across patient subgroups, including in those with central nervous system metastases.

Drug-related interstitial lung disease (ILD) and pneumonitis were generally low-grade and manageable; however, early detection and management is important to prevent serious ILD and pneumonitis among patients.

Although cytotoxic agents are often difficult to tolerate, ADCs like trastuzumab deruxtecan, which link a cytotoxic chemotherapy payload to a trastuzumab (Herceptin) antibody, appear to be well tolerated and elicit clinically meaningful activity in patients with HER2-positive NSCLC. Moreover, these data represent an encouraging step forward in the treatment of this patient population, Li concludes.

This activity is funded in part by Daiichi Sankyo. Content independently produced by OncLive.