Trastuzumab deruxtecan versus trastuzumab emtansine in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer: long-term survival analysis of the DESTINY-Breast03 trial

Nat Med. 2024 Aug;30(8):2208-2215. doi: 10.1038/s41591-024-03021-7. Epub 2024 Jun 2.

Abstract

Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) demonstrated significantly improved efficacy over trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in DESTINY-Breast03 (median follow-up, 28 months). We report updated efficacy and safety analyses, including secondary and exploratory efficacy endpoints (median follow-up, 41 months) of DESTINY-Breast03. Patients with advanced HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer previously treated with taxane and trastuzumab were randomized to T-DXd (5.4 mg per kg (261 patients)) or T-DM1 (3.6 mg per kg (263 patients)). The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) by blinded independent central review and was previously reported. The key secondary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Other secondary endpoints included objective response rate, duration of response and PFS (all by investigator assessment) and safety. At data cutoff, 20 November 2023, median PFS by investigator assessment was 29.0 versus 7.2 months (hazard ratio (HR), 0.30; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.24-0.38), the 36-month PFS rate was 45.7% versus 12.4% and median OS was 52.6 versus 42.7 months (HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.56-0.94) with T-DXd versus T-DM1, respectively. Treatment-emergent adverse events were consistent with the previous analyses. No new instances of grade ≥3 interstitial lung disease or pneumonitis occurred (all grade rate, 16.7% (T-DXd) versus 3.4% (T-DM1)). With longer follow-up, T-DXd continued to demonstrate superior efficacy over T-DM1 with a manageable safety profile. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03529110 .

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Clinical Trial, Phase III
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine* / adverse effects
  • Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine* / therapeutic use
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / adverse effects
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological / therapeutic use
  • Breast Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Breast Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Breast Neoplasms* / mortality
  • Breast Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Camptothecin / adverse effects
  • Camptothecin / analogs & derivatives
  • Camptothecin / therapeutic use
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunoconjugates / adverse effects
  • Immunoconjugates / therapeutic use
  • Maytansine / adverse effects
  • Maytansine / analogs & derivatives
  • Maytansine / therapeutic use
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Progression-Free Survival
  • Receptor, ErbB-2* / genetics
  • Receptor, ErbB-2* / metabolism
  • Survival Analysis
  • Trastuzumab* / adverse effects
  • Trastuzumab* / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Trastuzumab
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • trastuzumab deruxtecan
  • Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Camptothecin
  • Immunoconjugates
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Immunological
  • Maytansine

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03529110