Twenty-five years with HER2 targeted therapy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Biomarker Development

Background:

• Trastuzumab marked a pivotal advancement in HER2-positive breast cancer therapy, significantly improving patient outcomes.
• Its development highlighted the importance of understanding molecular mechanisms and established the drug-diagnostic co-development model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evolution of HER2-targeted therapies over the past 25 years, using trastuzumab as a benchmark.
• To summarize the efficacy of HER2-targeted treatments and the role of HER2 positivity testing.

Main Methods:

• Review of historical data and clinical outcomes of HER2-targeted therapies.
• Analysis of the impact of trastuzumab on cancer drug development and clinical trial design.

Main Results:

• Trastuzumab demonstrated significant improvements in disease recurrence and survival for HER2-positive breast cancer.
• Newer HER2-targeted therapies, including antibody-drug conjugates like trastuzumab deruxtecan, show promise for breast, gastric, and lung cancers.

Conclusions:

• Trastuzumab's development ushered in an era of targeted cancer therapy and validated the drug-diagnostic co-development approach.
• Ongoing advancements in HER2-targeted therapies continue to expand treatment options for various cancer types.