Results of EMILIA, the first randomized, open-label, phase 3 study comparing trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) alone with lapatinib in combination with capecitabine, showed that patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC) who received trastuzumab emtansine lived significantly longer with progression-free survival. The study involved 991 patients with HER2-positive mBC whose disease had progressed after initial treatment with Herceptin and a taxane-based chemotherapy.
Designed to inhibit HER2 signaling while delivering the chemotherapy directly inside HER2-positive cancer cells, trastuzumab emtansine is an investigational antibody-drug conjugate comprised of the antibody trastuzumab and the chemotherapy agent DM1.
“Trastuzumab emtansine represents a new approach for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer that comes from our decades of research on the HER pathway,” said Hal Barron, MD, Roche Chief Medical Officer and Head, Global Product Development. “We are excited about the EMILIA results because trastuzumab emtansine is our first antibody-drug conjugate and it may help people who still need more treatment options for this aggressive disease. We will work to submit these data to regulatory authorities as quickly as possible.”
Source: Roche.