AstraZeneca-Daiichi Sankyo drug shows promise in treating a type of early-stage breast cancer

Nadia Harbeck,  principal investigator for the trial, said: “For patients with early breast cancer who are at high risk of disease recurrence, using the most effective treatment option at the earliest opportunity is critical to prevent recurrence, optimise safety and improve the potential for cure. In the DESTINY-Breast11 trial, more than two thirds of patients had a pathologic complete response with trastuzumab deruxtecan followed by THP, suggesting a potential new standard of care in the neoadjuvant setting for patients with high-risk, HER2-positive early breast cancer.”

Susan Galbraith, executive cice president, oncology haematology R&D, AstraZeneca, said: “The impressive pathologic response rates and favourable safety profile seen with Enhertu followed by THP in DESTINY-Breast11 have the potential to transform treatment in the neoadjuvant setting and underscore the importance of bringing Enhertu into earlier stages of HER2-positive disease.”

Enhertu is an antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo and is being  jointly developed and commercialized by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca.

DESTINY-Breast11 enrolled 927 patients across multiple sites in Asia, Europe, North America and South America. For more information about the trial, visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

With Enhertu, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo aimed to improve outcomes in previously treated HER2-positive, HER2-low and HER2-ultralow metastatic breast cancer, and are exploring its potential in earlier lines of treatment and in new breast cancer settings.

AstraZeneca has administrative, logistics and manufacturing operations in northern Delaware.