AstraZeneca's new breast cancer drug yields 'groundbreaking' results in clinical trial

British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca on Saturday announced that the much-awaited Phase III head-to-head DESTINY-Breast03 results of its clinical trial for new drug ‘Enhertu’ to treat an aggressive form of breast cancer has “shattered expectations” and has elevated hopes for a “cure”. Scientists were given the promising data over a video call, last week, which has now demonstrated an impressive median of overall survival. In a groundbreaking analysis, drug Enhertu demonstrated a 72 percent reduction of disease progression or death in the clinical trials involving 500 women patients at sites in Asia, Europe, Oceania, and the Americas. Although the results were still not “statistically significant,” the pharma company said in a statement.

It was found that patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer will see the disease progression despite initial treatment with trastuzumab and a taxane. But there was a 'strong trend towards improved overall survival' with Enhertu, AstraZeneca said, presenting the results at a Presidential Symposium at the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress 2021. Nearly all patients treated with Enhertu were alive at one year, an estimated 94.1 percent compared to 85.9 percent lifespan when they were treated with trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1). Executive vice president, Oncology R&D, Susan Galbraith was reported saying: ‘Today’s results are groundbreaking.’

Javier Cortés, MD, PhD, Head, International Breast Cancer Center (IBCC), Barcelona, said: “Patients with previously treated HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer will typically experience disease progression in less than a year with available HER2-directed treatments. The high and consistent benefit seen across efficacy endpoints and key subgroups of patients receiving Enhertu. 

Investigators analysed that the survival rate for the breast cancer patients nearly tripled, and progression of the tumour was curbed with Enhertu by a whopping 95 percent compared to 77 percent previously seen in treatment with trastuzumab emtansine drugs. “These unprecedented data represent a potential paradigm shift in the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, and illustrate the potential for Enhertu to transform more patient lives in earlier treatment settings,” AstraZeneca’s Executive vice president Galbraith said in a statement. 

Aspirin could 'hold key' for breast cancer cure

In the clinical experiments, it was earlier found that a simple Aspirin medicine can help fight aggressive forms of triple-negative breast cancer and maybe the potential treatment. A team at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester launched trials to test its efficacy among triple-negative breast cancer patients. The cheap and widely available drug generally prescribed as a painkiller could prove to be effective against the rigorous form of breast cancer in women in combination with immunotherapy, scientists had discovered. Trials were funded by the Breast Cancer Now Catalyst Programme to determine if Aspirin’s [also known as acetylsalicylic acid’s] anti-inflammatory properties may be beneficial in fighting the tumours rather than just the analgesic effect. However, as the results are awaited, the medical fraternity ascertains that it may be too soon to recommend it for breast cancer patients yet. 

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