Relugolix vs. Leuprolide Effects on Castration Resistance-Free Survival from the Phase 3 HERO Study in Men with

Fred Saad1, Daniel J George2, Michael S Cookson3

  • 1University of Montreal Hospital Centre, Montreal, QC H2X 3E4, Canada.

Cancers
|October 14, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Relugolix, an oral GnRH antagonist, showed similar castration resistance-free survival (CRFS) compared to leuprolide in advanced prostate cancer patients over 48 weeks. This oral treatment offers comparable efficacy to standard injections.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Pharmacology
  • Clinical Trials

Background:

  • Relugolix is an oral GnRH receptor antagonist for advanced prostate cancer.
  • The HERO study demonstrated relugolix's ability to achieve sustained testosterone suppression.
  • This analysis focuses on castration resistance-free survival (CRFS) as a secondary endpoint.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate castration resistance-free survival (CRFS) in men with advanced prostate cancer treated with relugolix versus leuprolide.
  • To profile patients experiencing castration resistance during treatment.
  • To assess the safety and efficacy of oral relugolix compared to standard androgen deprivation therapy.

Main Methods:

  • A 48-week randomized trial comparing oral relugolix (120 mg daily after loading dose) to 3-monthly leuprolide injections.
  • CRFS was defined as time to confirmed prostate-specific antigen progression or death.
  • Analysis included metastatic and overall modified intention-to-treat (mITT) populations.

Main Results:

  • At 48 weeks, CRFS rates in the metastatic population were 74.3% for relugolix and 75.3% for leuprolide (HR 1.03, p=0.84).
  • Similar CRFS outcomes were observed in the overall mITT population.
  • No new safety concerns were identified for relugolix.

Conclusions:

  • Relugolix demonstrated non-inferior CRFS compared to leuprolide in men with advanced or metastatic prostate cancer over 48 weeks.
  • The efficacy of relugolix was comparable to leuprolide, regardless of CRFS progression events.
  • Relugolix provides a comparable efficacy profile to standard-of-care leuprolide for advanced prostate cancer treatment.