HER2-positive breast cancer experimental drug improves survival in trial

HER2-positive breast cancer experimental drug improves survival in trial

22 Jul 2014

Neratinib improved disease-free survival by 33% in women with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer in a trial, after their treatment with trastuzumab.

In particular, adjuvant treatment (additional treatment, is given after the primary treatment) with the drug showed a statistically significant improvement in disease-free survival of 33% versus patients on placebo, according to trial data. Patients in the trial were treated with neratinib after adjuvant treatment with cancer drug trastuzumab in women with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer.

Cancer cells with above-normal levels of the HER2 protein increases breast cancer risks.

The compound's manufacturer, Puma Biotechnology Inc, said that it plans to file for marketing approval in the first half of 2015. Neratinib, licensed from Pfizer Inc, is also being studied in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and other solid tumors that have a HER2 mutation.

 

Source: Reuters