Dr. Basho on the Emergence of Bispecific Antibodies in HER2+ Breast Cancer

Reva K. Basho, MD, assistant professor of medicine, co-director, Women’s Cancer Program, Samuel Oschin Cancer Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, discusses the emergence of bispecific antibodies in HER2-positive breast cancer.

Although several agents are emerging for use in HER2-positive breast cancer, anticipated data regarding bispecific antibodies are of particular interest, Basho says. Bispecific antibodies have the potential to dually target HER2 and another target, such as an immune target, in turn, eliciting a synergistic effect.

Additionally, some bispecific antibodies, such as zanidatamab, dually target HER2, Basho says. Zanidatamab targets HER2 at the pertuzumab (Perjeta) binding site, as well as the trastuzumab (Herceptin) binding site, Basho explains. Notably, dual HER2-targeting bispecific antibodies could potentially replace the combination of trastuzumab and pertuzumab as a frontline strategy in metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, where the doublet plus chemotherapy remains the standard frontline therapy, Basho concludes.