Dr. Bazhenova on Questions With Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in HER2-Mutated Lung Cancer

Lyudmila A. Bazhenova, MD, medical oncologist, professor of medicine, Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego Health, discusses future research questions with fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu) in HER2-mutated lung cancer.

Although trastuzumab deruxtecan is not yet FDA approved for use in patients with HER2-mutated lung cancer, the results of the phase 2 DESTINY-Lung01 trial (NCT03505710) demonstrated an objective response rate of 55% in patients with HER2-mutant non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were refractory to standard treatment.

Pending FDA approval, additional research efforts will be needed to fully understand where trastuzumab deruxtecan fits into the treatment paradigm for this patient population, Bazhenova explains. For example, because patients with central nervous system (CNS) metastases were excluded from DESTINY-Lung01, it will be important to assess the CNS penetrability of trastuzumab deruxtecan.

Additionally, given the data observed from DESTINY-Lung01 in the second-line setting, it will be important to test trastuzumab deruxtecan in the frontline setting for patients with HER2-mutated NSCLC to evaluate whether it is more efficacious than standard therapies, Bazhenova concludes.