The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted expanded approval for Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) to treat patients with metastatic, hormone-positive breast cancer expressing low and ultra-low levels of HER2, following hormone therapy. This landmark decision by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca marks a significant advancement in treating the most common form of breast cancer.
Expanded Treatment Landscape
The approval represents a crucial expansion of treatment options for patients with hormone-positive breast cancer, which accounts for the majority of breast cancer cases. This new indication specifically addresses patients whose tumors express low or ultra-low levels of HER2, a historically challenging-to-treat subset of the disease.
Clinical Implications
This regulatory decision opens up a new therapeutic avenue for patients who have progressed on hormone therapy. The antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology employed in Enhertu allows for targeted delivery of the cancer-fighting payload to tumor cells, potentially offering improved efficacy while managing side effects.
Market Impact and Accessibility
The expansion into this larger patient population positions Enhertu to potentially become an even more significant player in the breast cancer treatment landscape. As a blockbuster antibody-drug conjugate, this broader indication could substantially increase the number of patients who might benefit from the therapy.
Treatment Protocol
Patients eligible for this expanded indication must have received prior hormone therapy and have documented low or ultra-low HER2 expression in their metastatic breast cancer. This precise patient selection criteria reflects the growing trend toward more personalized cancer treatment approaches.
The approval builds upon Enhertu's established safety profile and demonstrates the evolving nature of targeted cancer therapies. Healthcare providers now have an additional treatment option for a broader group of breast cancer patients, potentially improving outcomes for those who previously had limited therapeutic options.
