Advancing neoadjuvant therapy with inetetamab for HER2-Positive breast cancer

HER2-positive breast cancer accounts for approximately 15 %-20 % of all breast cancer cases and is typically characterized by aggressive tumor biology, an elevated risk of recurrence, and poor long-term survival. Although HER2-targeted therapies such as trastuzumab and pertuzumab result in significantly improved clinical outcomes, the total pathological complete response (tpCR) rate remains suboptimal, particularly among hormone receptor (HR)-positive patients. Neoadjuvant therapy plays a critical role in facilitating tumor downstaging in locally advanced cases and provides a valuable opportunity to evaluate therapeutic efficacy and guide adjuvant treatment. Consequently, the development of novel anti-HER2 agents and combination strategies has become a major focus of ongoing researches. Inetetamab, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting HER2 with an engineered Fc domain to enhance antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, represents a promising candidate for improving treatment outcomes. In this issue of Cancer Letters, Zuo and colleagues present findings from a single-arm, multicenter phase II clinical trial investigating a neoadjuvant regimen combining inetetamab, pertuzumab, and nab-paclitaxel (TIP regimen) in patients with early-stage or locally advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. Through comprehensive evaluation of both efficacy and safety, the study demonstrates exceptional therapeutic potential of the TIP regimen, with a high tpCR rate observed in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative patients, indicating particular promise for this subgroup of HER2-positive breast cancer.