Clinical Pharmacology for Herceptin Hylecta
Mechanism Of Action
The HER2 (or c-erbB2) proto-oncogene encodes a transmembrane receptor protein of 185 kDa, which is structurally related to the epidermal growth factor receptor. Trastuzumab has been shown, in both in vitro assays and in animals, to inhibit the proliferation of human tumor cells that overexpress HER2.
Trastuzumab is a mediator of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). In vitro , trastuzumab-mediated ADCC has been shown to be preferentially exerted on HER2 overexpressing cancer cells compared with cancer cells that do not overexpress HER2.
Hyaluronan is a polysaccharide found in the extracellular matrix of the subcutaneous tissue. It is depolymerized by the naturally occurring enzyme hyaluronidase. Unlike the stable structural components of the interstitial matrix, hyaluronan has a half-life of approximately 0.5 days. Hyaluronidase increases permeability of the subcutaneous tissue by depolymerizing hyaluronan. In the doses administered, hyaluronidase in HERCEPTIN HYLECTA acts transiently and locally.
The effects of hyaluronidase are reversible and permeability of the subcutaneous tissue is restored within 24 to 48 hours.
Hyaluronidase has been shown to increase the absorption rate of a trastuzumab product into the systemic circulation when given in the subcutis of Göttingen Minipigs.
Pharmacodynamics
Cardiac Electrophysiology
The effects of trastuzumab on electrocardiographic (ECG) endpoints, including QTc interval duration, were evaluated in patients with HER2-positive solid tumors. Trastuzumab had no clinically relevant effect on the QTc interval duration and there was no apparent relationship between serum trastuzumab concentrations and change in QTcF interval duration in patients with HER2-positive solid tumors.
Pharmacokinetics
Trastuzumab exposure following subcutaneous administration of HERCEPTIN HYLECTA 600 mg every 3 weeks as compared to intravenous trastuzumab 8 mg/kg loading dose, 6 mg/kg maintenance every 3 weeks in the HannaH Study is shown in Table 6. The pharmacokinetic (PK) results for the co-primary endpoint, Ctrough predose Cycle 8, showed non-inferiority of HERCEPTIN HYLECTA (78.7 mcg/mL) compared to intravenous trastuzumab (57.8 mcg/mL), with a geometric mean ratio of 1.3 (90% CI: 1.2–1.4).
A population PK model with parallel linear and nonlinear elimination from the central compartment was constructed using pooled HERCEPTIN HYLECTA and intravenous trastuzumab pharmacokinetic (PK) data from HannaH to describe the observed trastuzumab PK concentrations following HERCEPTIN HYLECTA subcutaneous administration and intravenous trastuzumab administration. Population PK predicted trastuzumab exposure are shown in Table 6.
Following subcutaneous administration of HERCEPTIN HYLECTA, trastuzumab concentrations were approximately at steady-state after the Cycle 7 dose with < 15% increase in concentration up to Cycle 13. The mean Ctrough at the pre-dose Cycle 18 in HERCEPTIN HYLECTA arm is similar to that of Cycle 13, suggesting no further increase after Cycle 13. The mean Cmax was 32% lower, and the mean AUC0-21 days following the Cycle 7 dose and Cycle 12 dose was approximately 10% and 20% higher, respectively, in the HERCEPTIN HYLECTA arm than in the intravenous trastuzumab arm.
Table 7 Trastuzumab Exposure (median with 5th-95th Percentiles) following Subcutaneous Administration of HERCEPTIN HYLECTA or Intravenous Trastuzumab
| Trastuzumab Exposure |
HERCEPTIN HYLECTA |
Intravenous Trastuzumab |
| Ctrough (mcg/mL) |
Cycle 1 |
28.2 (14.8–40.9) |
29.4 (5.8–59.5) |
| Cycle 7 |
75.0 (35.1–123) |
47.4 (5–114.7) |
| Cmax (mcg/mL) |
Cycle 1 |
79.3 (56.1–109) |
178 (117–291) |
| Cycle 7 |
149 (86.1–214) |
179 (107–309) |
| AUC0-21 days (mcg/mL•day) |
Cycle 1 |
1065 (718–1504) |
1373 (736–2245) |
| Cycle 7 |
2337 (1258–3478) |
1794 (673–3618) |
General PK parameters of trastuzumab following subcutaneous administration of HERCEPTIN HYLECTA are shown in Table 7. Trastuzumab is estimated to reach concentrations that are < 1 mcg/mL by 7 months in at least 95% patients.
Table 8 PK parameters of Trastuzumab following Subcutaneous Administration of HERCEPTIN HYLECTA*
| Absorption |
| Absolute Bioavailability |
0.77 (13) |
| First-order absorption rate, ka (day-1) |
0.4 (2.92)† |
| Tmax (day) |
3 (1-14)‡ |
| Distribution |
| Volume of Central Compartment (L) |
2.9 (19.1) |
| Elimination |
| Linear Elimination Clearance (L/day) |
0.11 (30) |
| Non-linear Elimination Vmax (mg/day) |
11.9 (19.9)† |
| Non-linear Elimination Km (mg/L) |
33.9 (38.6)† |
* Parameters represented as geometric mean (%CV) unless otherwise specified
† Residual standard error
‡ Median (range) |
Specific Populations
Body weight showed a statistically significant influence on PK. In patients with a body weight < 51 kg, mean steady state AUC of trastuzumab was about 80% higher after HERCEPTIN HYLECTA than after intravenous trastuzumab treatment, whereas in the highest BW group (> 90 kg) AUC was 20% lower after HERCEPTIN HYLECTA than after intravenous trastuzumab treatment. However, no body weight based dose adjustments are needed, as the exposure changes are not considered clinically relevant.
Drug Interaction Studies
There have been no formal drug interaction studies performed with trastuzumab in humans. Clinically significant interactions between trastuzumab and concomitant medications used in clinical trials have not been observed.
Paclitaxel And Doxorubicin
Concentrations of paclitaxel and doxorubicin and their major metabolites (i.e., 6-α hydroxyl-paclitaxel [POH], and doxorubicinol [DOL], respectively) were not altered in the presence of trastuzumab when used as combination therapy in clinical trials. Trastuzumab concentrations were not altered as part of this combination therapy.
Docetaxel And Carboplatin
When intravenous trastuzumab was administered in combination with docetaxel or carboplatin, neither the plasma concentrations of docetaxel or carboplatin nor the plasma concentrations of trastuzumab were altered.
Cisplatin And Capecitabine
In a drug interaction substudy conducted in patients in Study BO18255, the pharmacokinetics of cisplatin, capecitabine and their metabolites were not altered when administered in combination with intravenous trastuzumab.
Immunogenicity
As with all therapeutic proteins, there is potential for immunogenicity. The detection of antibody formation is highly dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. Additionally, the observed incidence of antibody (including neutralizing antibody) positivity in an assay may be influenced by several factors including assay methodology, sample handling, timing of sample collection, concomitant medications, and underlying disease. For these reasons, comparison of the incidence of antibodies to HERCEPTIN HYLECTA and intravenous trastuzumab in the study described below with the incidence of antibodies in other studies or to other products may be misleading.
In the HannaH study, at a median follow-up exceeding 60 months, the incidence of treatment-induced/enhanced anti-trastuzumab antibodies was 10% (30/296) in patients treated with intravenous trastuzumab and 16% (47/295) in patients receiving HERCEPTIN HYLECTA. Neutralizing anti-trastuzumab antibodies were detected in post-baseline samples in 2/30 patients in the intravenous trastuzumab arm and 3/47 patients in the HERCEPTIN HYLECTA arm. The incidence of treatment-induced/enhanced anti-recombinant human hyaluronidase antibodies was 21% (62/295) in the HERCEPTIN HYLECTA arm. None of the patients who tested positive for anti-recombinant human hyaluronidase antibodies tested positive for neutralizing antibodies.
The clinical relevance of the development of anti-trastuzumab or anti-recombinant human hyaluronidase antibodies after treatment with HERCEPTIN HYLECTA is not known.
Clinical Studies
The comparability between HERCEPTIN HYLECTA administered subcutaneously and intravenous trastuzumab was established in the HannaH study. The HannaH study was conducted in patients with HER2 overexpressing breast cancer in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant settings with co-primary endpoints of pathological complete response (pCR) and the PK endpoint of Ctrough at cycle 7 [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].
Adjuvant Breast Cancer
HERCEPTIN HYLECTA
HannaH
The HannaH study (NCT00950300) was a randomized, multicenter, open-label, clinical trial in 596 patients with HER2-positive operable or locally advanced breast cancer (LABC), including inflammatory breast cancer. HER2positivity was defined as IHC 3+ or ISH+. Patients were randomized to receive 8 cycles of either HERCEPTIN HYLECTA or intravenous trastuzumab concurrently with chemotherapy (docetaxel followed by 5FU, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide), followed by surgery and continued therapy with HERCEPTIN HYLECTA or intravenous trastuzumab as treated prior to surgery, for an additional 10 cycles, to complete 18 cycles of therapy. HannaH was designed to demonstrate non-inferiority of treatment with HERCEPTIN HYLECTA versus intravenous trastuzumab based on co-primary PK and efficacy outcomes (trastuzumab Ctrough at pre-dose Cycle 8, and pCR rate at definitive surgery, respectively) [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY]. EFS and OS were among other outcomes evaluated in this study. The majority of patients were white (69%) and the median age was 50 years (range: 24-81).
The analysis of the efficacy co-primary outcome, pCR, defined as absence of invasive neoplastic cells in the breast, resulted in rates of 45.4% (95% CI: 39.2, 51.7) in the HERCEPTIN HYLECTA arm and 40.7% (95% CI: 34.7, 46.9) in the intravenous trastuzumab arm.
Table 9: Summary of Pathological Complete Response (pCR) (HannaH)
|
HERCEPTIN HYLECTA
(n=260) |
Intravenous Trastuzumab
(n=263) |
| pCR (absence of invasive neoplastic cells in breast [ypT0/is]) |
118 (45.4%) |
107 (40.7%) |
| Exact 95% CI for pCR Rate* |
(39.2; 51.7) |
(34.7; 46.9) |
| Difference in pCR (SC minus IV arm) |
4.70 |
| 95% CI for Difference in pCR† |
(-4.0; 13.4) |
*CI for one sample binomial using Pearson-Clopper method
†Approximate 95% CI for difference of two rates using Hauck-Anderson method |
With a median follow-up exceeding 70 months, no difference in EFS and OS was observed in the final analysis between patients who received intravenous trastuzumab and those who received HERCEPTIN HYLECTA.
SafeHER
The SafeHER study (NCT01566721) was a prospective, two-cohort, non-randomized, multinational, open-label study designed to assess the overall safety and tolerability of HERCEPTIN HYLECTA with chemotherapy in 1864 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. The secondary objectives include the evaluation of DFS and OS. HER2-positivity was defined as IHC 3+ or ISH+. Patients received a fixed dose of 600 mg HERCEPTIN HYLECTA every 3 weeks for a total of 18 cycles throughout the study. HERCEPTIN HYLECTA treatment was initiated either sequentially with chemotherapy, concurrently with chemotherapy, or without adjuvant chemotherapy, or in combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by trastuzumab therapy. The majority of treated patients were white (76%) and the median age was 54 years (range: 20-88).
In the primary safety analysis (median follow-up 23.7 months), no new safety signals were identified for HERCEPTIN HYLECTA. Safety and tolerability results, including in lower weight patients, were consistent with the known safety profile for HERCEPTIN HYLECTA and intravenous trastuzumab.
In the ITT population (n=1867), 126 patients (7%) had a DFS event (recurrence, contralateral invasive breast cancer or death) and 28 patients (1.5%) had an OS event at the time of clinical cut-off.
Intravenous Trastuzumab
The safety and efficacy of intravenous trastuzumab in women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for HER2 overexpressing breast cancer were evaluated in an integrated analysis of two randomized, open-label, clinical trials (Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831) with a total of 4063 women at the protocol-specified final overall survival analysis, a third randomized, open-label, clinical trial (HERA Study) with a total of 3386 women at definitive DFS analysis for 1-year intravenous trastuzumab treatment versus observation, and a fourth randomized, open-label clinical trial with a total of 3222 patients (Study BCIRG006).
Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831
In Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831, breast tumor specimens were required to show HER2 overexpression (3+ by IHC) or gene amplification (by FISH). HER2 testing was verified by a central laboratory prior to randomization (Study NCCTG N9831) or was required to be performed at a reference laboratory (Study NSABP B31). Patients with a history of active cardiac disease based on symptoms, abnormal electrocardiographic, radiologic, or left ventricular ejection fraction findings or uncontrolled hypertension (diastolic > 100 mm Hg or systolic > 200 mm Hg) were not eligible.
Patients were randomized (1:1) to receive doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel (AC→paclitaxel) alone or paclitaxel plus intravenous trastuzumab (AC→paclitaxel + intravenous trastuzumab).
In both trials, patients received four 21-day cycles of doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2. Paclitaxel was administered either weekly (80 mg/m2) or every 3 weeks (175 mg/m2) for a total of 12 weeks in Study NSABP B31; paclitaxel was administered only by the weekly schedule in Study NCCTG N9831. Intravenous trastuzumab was administered at 4 mg/kg on the day of initiation of paclitaxel and then at a dose of 2 mg/kg weekly for a total of 52 weeks. Intravenous trastuzumab treatment was permanently discontinued in patients who developed congestive heart failure, or persistent/recurrent LVEF decline [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION]. Radiation therapy, if administered, was initiated after the completion of chemotherapy. Patients with ER+ and/or PR+ tumors received hormonal therapy. The major efficacy outcome of the combined efficacy analysis was DFS, defined as the time from randomization to recurrence, occurrence of contralateral breast cancer, other second primary cancer, or death. An additional efficacy outcome measure was OS.
A total of 3752 patients were included in the joint efficacy analysis of DFS following a median follow-up of 2.0 years in the AC→paclitaxel + intravenous trastuzumab arm. The pre-planned final OS analysis from the joint analysis included 4063 patients and was performed when 707 deaths had occurred after a median follow-up of 8.3 years in the AC→paclitaxel + intravenous trastuzumab arm. The data from both arms in Study NSABP B31 and two of the three study arms in Study NCCTG N9831 were pooled for efficacy analyses. The patients included in the DFS analysis had a median age of 49 years (range, 22−80 years; 6% > 65 years), 84% were White, 7% Black, 4% Hispanic, and 4% Asian/Pacific Islander. Disease characteristics included 90% infiltrating ductal histology, 38% T1, 91% nodal involvement, 27% intermediate and 66% high grade pathology, and 53% ER+ and/or PR+ tumors.
HERA Study
In the HERA Study, breast tumor specimens were required to show HER2 overexpression (3+ by IHC) or gene amplification (by FISH) as determined at a central laboratory. Patients with node-negative disease were required to have ≥ T1c primary tumor. Patients with a history of congestive heart failure or LVEF < 55%, uncontrolled arrhythmias, angina requiring medication, clinically significant valvular heart disease, evidence of transmural infarction on ECG, poorly controlled hypertension (systolic > 180 mm Hg or diastolic > 100 mm Hg) were not eligible.
Patients were randomized (1:1:1) upon completion of definitive surgery, and at least 4 cycles of chemotherapy to receive no additional treatment, or 1 year of intravenous trastuzumab treatment or 2 years of intravenous trastuzumab treatment. Patients undergoing a lumpectomy had also completed standard radiotherapy. Patients with ER+ and/or PgR+ disease received systemic adjuvant hormonal therapy at investigator discretion. Intravenous trastuzumab was administered with an initial dose of 8 mg/kg followed by subsequent doses of 6 mg/kg once every 3 weeks. The major efficacy outcome measure was DFS, defined as in Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831.
HERA was designed to compare 1 and 2 years of three-weekly intravenous trastuzumab treatment versus observation in patients with HER2 positive EBC following surgery, established chemotherapy and radiotherapy (if applicable). A protocol specified interim efficacy analysis comparing one-year intravenous trastuzumab treatment to observation was performed at a median follow-up duration of 12.6 months in the intravenous trastuzumab. Among the 3386 patients randomized to the observation (n = 1693) and intravenous trastuzumab one-year (n = 1693) treatment arms, the median age was 49 years (range 21−80), 83% were White, and 13% were Asian. Disease characteristics: 94% infiltrating ductal carcinoma, 50% ER+ and/or PgR+, 57% node positive, 32% node negative, and in 11% of patients, nodal status was not assessable due to prior neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Ninety-six percent (1055/1098) of patients with node-negative disease had high-risk features: among the 1098 patients with node-negative disease, 49% (543) were ER− and PgR−, and 47% (512) were ER+ and/or PgR+ and had at least one of the following high-risk features: pathological tumor size > 2 cm, Grade 2−3, or age < 35 years. Prior to randomization, 94% of patients had received anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimens.
After the DFS results comparing observation to one-year intravenous trastuzumab treatment were disclosed, a prospectively planned analysis that included comparison of one year versus two years of intravenous trastuzumab treatment at a median follow-up duration of 8 years was performed. Based on this analysis, extending intravenous trastuzumab treatment for a duration of two years did not show additional benefit over treatment for one year [Hazard Ratios of two-years intravenous trastuzumab versus one-year intravenous trastuzumab treatment in the ITT population for DFS = 0.99 (95% CI: 0.87, 1.13), p = 0.90 and OS = 0.98 (0.83, 1.15); p = 0.78].
BCIRG006 Study
In the BCIRG006 Study, breast tumor specimens were required to show HER2 gene amplification (FISH+ only) as determined at a central laboratory. Patients were required to have either node-positive disease, or node-negative disease with at least one of the following high-risk features: ER/PR-negative, tumor size > 2 cm, age < 35 years, or histologic and/or nuclear Grade 2 or 3. Patients with a history of CHF, myocardial infarction, Grade 3 or 4 cardiac arrhythmia, angina requiring medication, clinically significant valvular heart disease, poorly controlled hypertension (diastolic > 100 mm Hg), any T4 or N2, or known N3 or M1 breast cancer were not eligible.
Patients were randomized (1:1:1) to receive doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel (AC-T), doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel plus intravenous trastuzumab (AC-TH), or docetaxel and carboplatin plus intravenous trastuzumab (TCH). In both the AC-T and AC-TH arms, doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 were administered every 3 weeks for four cycles; docetaxel 100 mg/m2 was administered every 3 weeks for four cycles. In the TCH arm, docetaxel 75 mg/m2 and carboplatin (at a target AUC of 6 mg/mL/min as a 30-to 60-minute infusion) were administered every 3 weeks for six cycles. Intravenous trastuzumab was administered weekly (initial dose of 4 mg/kg followed by weekly dose of 2 mg/kg) concurrently with either T or TC, and then every 3 weeks (6 mg/kg) as monotherapy for a total of 52 weeks. Radiation therapy, if administered, was initiated after completion of chemotherapy. Patients with ER+ and/or PR+ tumors received hormonal therapy. DFS was the major efficacy outcome measure.
Among 3222 patients, the median age was 49 (range 22 to 74 years; 6% ≥ 65 years). Disease characteristics included 54% ER+ and/or PR+ and 71% node positive. Prior to randomization, all patients underwent primary surgery for breast cancer.
The results for DFS for the integrated analysis of Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831, HERA, and BCIRG006 and OS results for the integrated analysis of Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831, and HERA are presented in Table 9. For Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831, the duration of DFS following a median follow-up of 2.0 years in the AC→TH arm is presented in Figure 1, and the duration of OS after a median follow-up of 8.3 years in the AC→TH arm is presented in Figure 2. The duration of DFS for BCIRG006 is presented in Figure 3. For Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831, the OS hazard ratio was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.55, 0.74). At 8.3 years of median follow-up [AC→TH], the survival rate was estimated to be 86.9% in the AC→TH arm and 79.4% in the AC→T arm. The final OS analysis results from Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831 indicate that OS benefit by age, hormone receptor status, number of positive lymph nodes, tumor size and grade, and surgery/radiation therapy was consistent with the treatment effect in the overall population. In patients ≤ 50 years of age (n = 2197), the OS hazard ratio was 0.65 (95% CI: 0.52, 0.81) and in patients > 50 years of age (n = 1866), the OS hazard ratio was 0.63 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.78). In the subgroup of patients with hormone receptor-positive disease (ER-positive and/or PR-positive) (n = 2223), the hazard ratio for OS was 0.63 (95% CI: 0.51, 0.78). In the subgroup of patients with hormone receptor-negative disease (ERnegative and PR-negative) (n = 1830), the hazard ratio for OS was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.52, 0.80). In the subgroup of patients with tumor size ≤ 2 cm (n = 1604), the hazard ratio for OS was 0.52 (95% CI: 0.39, 0.71). In the subgroup of patients with tumor size > 2 cm (n = 2448), the hazard ratio for OS was 0.67 (95% CI: 0.56, 0.80).
Table 10 Efficacy Results from Adjuvant Treatment of Breast Cancer (Studies NSABP B31, NCCTG N9831, HERA, and BCIRG006)
|
DFS events |
DFS Hazard ratio
(95% CI)
p-value |
Deaths
(OS events) |
OS Hazard ratio
p-value |
| Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831* |
AC→TH
(n = 1872)†
(n = 2031)‡ |
133† |
0.48†,§
(0.39, 0.59)
p< 0.0001¶ |
289‡ |
0.64‡,§
(0.55, 0.74)
p< 0.0001¶ |
AC→T
(n = 1880)†
(n = 2032)‡ |
261† |
|
418‡ |
|
| HERA# |
Chemo→
Intravenous trastuzumab
(n = 1693) |
127 |
0.54
(0.44, 0.67)
p< 0.0001Þ |
31 |
0.75
p = NSß |
Chemo→
Observation
(n = 1693) |
219 |
|
40 |
|
| BCIRG006à |
TCH
(n = 1075) |
134 |
0.67
(0.54 – 0.84)
p=0.0006¶,è |
56 |
|
AC→TH
(n = 1074) |
121 |
0.60
(0.48 – 0.76)
p< 0.0001¶,à |
49 |
|
AC→T
(n = 1073) |
180 |
|
80 |
|
CI = confidence interval.
* Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831 regimens: doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel (AC→T) or paclitaxel plus intravenous trastuzumab (AC→TH).
† Efficacy evaluable population, for the primary DFS analysis, following a median follow-up of 2.0 years in the AC→TH arm.
‡ Efficacy evaluable population, for the final OS analysis, following 707 deaths (8.3 years of median follow-up in the AC→TH arm).
§ Hazard ratio estimated by Cox regression stratified by clinical trial, intended paclitaxel schedule, number of positive nodes, and hormone receptor status.
¶ stratified log-rank test.
# At definitive DFS analysis with median duration of follow-up of 12.6 months in the one- year intravenous trastuzumab treatment arm.
Þ log-rank test.
ß NS = non-significant.
à BCIRG006 regimens: doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel (AC→T) or docetaxel plus intravenous trastuzumab (AC→TH); docetaxel and carboplatin plus intravenous trastuzumab (TCH).
è A two-sided alpha level of 0.025 for each comparison. |
Figure 1 Duration of Disease-Free Survival in Patients with Adjuvant Treatment of Breast Cancer (Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831)
Figure 2 Duration of Overall Survival in Patients with Adjuvant Treatment of Breast Cancer (Studies NSABP B31 and NCCTG N9831)
Figure 3 Duration of Disease-Free Survival in Patients with Adjuvant Treatment of Breast Cancer (BCIRG006)
Exploratory analyses of DFS as a function of HER2 overexpression or gene amplification were conducted for patients in Study NCCTG N9831 and HERA, where central laboratory testing data were available. The results are shown in Table 10. The number of events in Study NCCTG N9831 was small with the exception of the IHC 3+/FISH+ subgroup, which constituted 81% of those with data. Definitive conclusions cannot be drawn regarding efficacy within other subgroups due to the small number of events. The number of events in HERA was adequate to demonstrate significant effects on DFS in the IHC 3+/FISH unknown and the FISH+/IHC unknown subgroups.
Table 11 Treatment Outcomes in Study NCCTG N9831 and HERA for Patients with HER2 Overexpression or Amplification
|
Study NCCTG N9831 |
HERA* |
| HER2 Assay Result† |
Number of Patients |
Hazard Ratio DFS
(95% CI) |
Number of Patients |
Hazard Ratio DFS
(95% CI) |
| IHC 3+ |
|
|
|
|
| FISH (+) |
1170 |
0.42
(0.27, 0.64) |
91 |
0.56
(0.13, 2.50) |
| FISH (−) |
51 |
0.71
(0.04, 11.79) |
8 |
- |
| FISH Unknown |
51 |
0.69
(0.09, 5.14) |
2258 |
0.53
(0.41, 0.69) |
| IHC < 3+ / FISH (+) |
174 |
1.01
(0.18, 5.65) |
299‡ |
0.53
(0.20, 1.42) |
| IHC unknown / FISH (+) |
- |
- |
724 |
0.59
(0.38, 0.93) |
* Median follow-up duration of 12.6 months in the one-year intravenous trastuzumab treatment arm.
† IHC by HercepTest, FISH by PathVysion (HER2/CEP17 ratio ≥ 2.0) as performed at a central laboratory.
‡ All cases in this category in HERA were IHC 2+. |
Metastatic Breast Cancer
Intravenous Trastuzumab
The safety and efficacy of intravenous trastuzumab in the treatment of women with metastatic breast cancer were studied in a randomized, controlled clinical trial in combination with chemotherapy (H0648g, n=469 patients) and an open-label single agent clinical trial (H0649g, n=222 patients). Both trials studied patients with metastatic breast cancer whose tumors overexpress the HER2 protein. Patients were eligible if they had level 2 or 3 overexpression (based on a 0 to 3 scale) by immunohistochemical assessment of tumor tissue performed by a central testing lab.
Previously Untreated Metastatic Breast Cancer (H0648g)
H0648g was a multicenter, randomized, open-label clinical trial conducted in 469 women with metastatic breast cancer who had not been previously treated with chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Patients were randomized to receive chemotherapy alone or in combination with trastuzumab given intravenously as a 4 mg/kg loading dose followed by weekly doses of intravenous trastuzumab at 2 mg/kg. For those who had received prior anthracycline therapy in the adjuvant setting, chemotherapy consisted of paclitaxel (175 mg/m2 over 3 hours every 21 days for at least six cycles); for all other patients, chemotherapy consisted of anthracycline plus cyclophosphamide (AC: doxorubicin 60 mg/m2 or epirubicin 75 mg/m2 plus 600 mg/m2 cyclophosphamide every 21 days for six cycles). Sixty-five percent of patients randomized to receive chemotherapy alone in this study received intravenous trastuzumab at the time of disease progression as part of a separate extension study.
Based upon the determination by an Independent Response Evaluation Committee, the patients randomized to intravenous trastuzumab and chemotherapy experienced a significantly longer time to disease progression (TTP), a higher overall response rate (ORR), and a longer median duration of response as compared with patients randomized to chemotherapy alone. Patients randomized to intravenous trastuzumab and chemotherapy also had a longer median overall survival (OS) (see Table 11). These treatment effects were observed both in patients who received intravenous trastuzumab plus paclitaxel and in those who received intravenous trastuzumab plus AC; however the magnitude of the effects was greater in the paclitaxel subgroup.
Table 12: H0648g: Efficacy Results in First-Line Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer
|
Combined Results |
Paclitaxel Subgroup |
AC Subgroup |
Intravenous Trastuzumab + All Chemo-therapy
(n=235) |
All Chemo-therapy
(n=234) |
Intravenous Trastuzumab + Paclitaxel
(n=92) |
Paclitaxel
(n=96) |
Intravenous Trastuzumab + AC*
(n=143) |
AC
(n=138) |
| Time to Disease Progression (TTP) |
| Median (months)†,‡ |
7.2 |
4.5 |
6.7 |
2.5 |
7.6 |
5.7 |
| 95% CI |
7, 8 |
4, 5 |
5, 10 |
2, 4 |
7, 9 |
5, 7 |
| p-value§ |
< 0.0001 |
< 0.0001 |
0.002 |
| Overall Response Rate (ORR)† |
| Events (n) |
45 |
29 |
38 |
15 |
50 |
38 |
| 95% CI |
39, 51 |
23, 35 |
28, 48 |
8, 22 |
42, 58 |
30, 46 |
| p-value¶ |
< 0.001 |
< 0.001 |
0.10 |
| Duration of Response (DoR) |
| Median (months)†,‡ |
8.3 |
5.8 |
8.3 |
4.3 |
8.4 |
6.4 |
| 25%, 75% Quartile |
6, 15 |
4, 8 |
5, 11 |
4, 7 |
6, 15 |
4, 8 |
| Overall Survival (OS) |
| Median (months)‡ |
25.1 |
20.3 |
22.1 |
18.4 |
26.8 |
21.4 |
| 95% CI |
22, 30 |
17, 24 |
17, 29 |
13, 24 |
23, 33 |
18, 27 |
| p-value§ |
0.05 |
0.17 |
0.16 |
* AC=Anthracycline (doxorubicin or epirubicin) and cyclophosphamide.
† Assessed by an independent Response Evaluation Committee.
‡ Kaplan-Meier Estimate.
§ log-rank test.
¶χ2-test. |
Data from H0648g suggest that the beneficial treatment effects were largely limited to patients with the highest level of HER2 protein overexpression (3+) (see Table 12).
Table 13: Treatment Effects in H0648g as a Function of HER2 Overexpression or Amplification
| HER2 Assay Result |
Number of Patients
(N) |
Relative Risk * for Time to Disease Progression
(95% CI) |
Relative Risk * for Mortality
(95% CI) |
| CTA 2+ or 3+ |
469 |
0.49 (0.40, 0.61) |
0.80 (0.64, 1.00) |
| FISH (+) † |
325 |
0.44 (0.34, 0.57) |
0.70 (0.53, 0.91) |
| FISH (−) † |
126 |
0.62 (0.42, 0.94) |
1.06 (0.70, 1.63) |
| CTA 2+ |
120 |
0.76 (0.50, 1.15) |
1.26 (0.82, 1.94) |
| FISH (+) |
32 |
0.54 (0.21, 1.35) |
1.31 (0.53, 3.27) |
| FISH (−) |
83 |
0.77 (0.48, 1.25) |
1.11 (0.68, 1.82) |
| CTA 3+ |
349 |
0.42 (0.33, 0.54) |
0.70 (0.51, 0.90) |
| FISH (+) |
293 |
0.42 (0.32, 0.55) |
0.67 (0.51, 0.89) |
| FISH (−) |
43 |
0.43 (0.20, 0.94) |
0.88 (0.39, 1.98) |
*The relative risk represents the risk of progression or death in the trastuzumab plus chemotherapy arm versus the chemotherapy arm.
† FISH testing results were available for 451 of the 469 patients enrolled on study. |
Previously Treated Metastatic Breast Cancer (Study H0649g)
Intravenous trastuzumab was studied as a single agent in a multicenter, open-label, single-arm clinical trial (Study H0649g) in patients with HER2 overexpressing MBC who had relapsed following one or two prior chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease. Of 222 patients enrolled, 66% had received prior adjuvant chemotherapy, 68% had received two prior chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease, and 25% had received prior myeloablative treatment with hematopoietic rescue. Patients were treated with a loading dose of 4 mg/kg IV followed by weekly doses of trastuzumab at 2 mg/kg IV.
The ORR (complete response + partial response), as determined by an independent Response Evaluation Committee, was 14%, with a 2% complete response rate and a 12% partial response rate. Complete responses were observed only in patients with disease limited to skin and lymph nodes. The overall response rate in patients whose tumors tested as CTA 3+ was 18% while in those that tested as CTA 2+, it was 6%.
Patient Experience
The PrefHER study (NCT01401166) was a randomized, multi-center, two-arm, cross-over trial conducted in 240 patients with HER2-positive breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment. One hundred twenty-one patients in arm A received 4 cycles of HERCEPTIN HYLECTA followed by 4 cycles of intravenous trastuzumab and 119 patients in arm B received 4 cycles of intravenous trastuzumab followed by 4 cycles of HERCEPTIN HYLECTA. Both arms received a total of 18 cycles. After Cycle 8, 199 of 231 patients (86%) reported preferring subcutaneous administration of HERCEPTIN HYLECTA over intravenous trastuzumab and the most common reason cited was administration required less time (179/231) in the clinic. After Cycle 8, 29 out of 231 patients (13%) reported preferring intravenous trastuzumab over HERCEPTIN HYLECTA and the most common reason was fewer local injection reactions. Three out of 231 patients (1%) had no preference for the route of administration. Nine out of 240 (3.8%) withdrew from treatment prior to completion of Cycle 8 and did not complete the post-study preference questionnaire.