Dr. Shore on the Rationale for the Phase 3 HERO Trial in Advanced Prostate Cancer

​Neal D. Shore, MD, FACS, medical director of the Carolina Urologic Research Center, discusses the rationale for conducting the phase 3 HERO trial in advanced prostate cancer.

At the 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program, findings from the HERO trial showed that relugolix (Relumina) given as once daily oral therapy was superior to leuprolide (Lupron) in terms of sustained castration rates, prostate-specific antigen response, and testosterone recovery.

Additionally, the agent led to a 54% decrease in the likelihood of major adverse cardiovascular events compared with leuprolide.

Relugolix is a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist that can prevent testosterone surge and clinical symptom flare, explains Shore. Moreover, GnRH antagonists appear to have a superior mechanism of action compared with traditional luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone receptor agonists.

On June 22, 2020, the FDA granted a priority review designation to a new drug application for relugolix as a treatment for patients with advanced prostate cancer, according to data from the HERO trial.