The FDA recently approved Perjeta (pertuzumab) in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC) who have not received prior anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic disease.
According to a phase 3 study, patients with previously untreated HER2-positive mBC who received the combination of pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and docetaxel chemotherapy survived a median of 6.1 months longer without their cancer worsening. The median progression-free survival for these patients was 18.5 months compared with 12.4 months for patients who received trastuzumab plus docetaxel chemotherapy.
Pertuzumab is a personalized medicine that targets the HER2 receptor and is thought to work in a complementary way to trastuzumab. The 2 medicines target different regions on the HER2 receptor.
Source: Genentech.