Dr. Hamilton on ONT-380/T-DM1 in HER2+ Breast Cancer

Erika P. Hamilton, MD, director, Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Research Program, principal investigator, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses a phase Ib study examining ONT-380 in combination with trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer, and what potential the combination has in the neoadjuvant setting.

The study examined the efficacy and safety of patients with metastatic disease in the second-line setting and included patients with treated and untreated brain metastases, Hamilton explains. Previous data suggest that ONT-380 is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Results showed that there was a 47% response rate in patients and the median progression-free survival was 8 months. In patients who were CNS evaluable, over one-third had responses in the brain.

Due to the encouraging findings, Hamilton predicts that this regimen could be studied in the neoadjuvant setting.