Pertuzumab: development beyond breast cancer

Pertuzumab (Perjeta®) represents the first monoclonal antibody in a new class of agents known as dimerization inhibitors. Pertuzumab was recently approved for the treatment of Human Epidermal Receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer in the metastatic and neo-adjuvant setting. This approval for first-line therapy for metastatic breast cancer was based on the results of a large randomized multicenter phase III trial showing a significant improvement in overall survival when pertuzumab was combined with trastuzumab and docetaxel in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer. In the neoadjuvant setting, dual HER2 blockade by trastuzumab and pertuzumab improved the complete pathological response rate. However, pertuzumab development was not confined to breast cancer and in the present article, we focus on pertuzumab data for solid tumors other than breast cancer, and review the biological rationale for its use, the published pre-clinical and clinical evidence, as well ongoing trials.