Efficacy

Keytruda (pembrolizumab) in Breast Cancer Treatment

Keytruda, also known by its generic name pembrolizumab, is a monoclonal antibody that has shown efficacy in the treatment of certain types of breast cancer. It is primarily indicated for patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) that expresses PD-L1, as determined by an FDA-approved test. Pembrolizumab works by blocking the PD-1 pathway, thereby enhancing the immune system's ability to fight cancer cells. In clinical trials, pembrolizumab, when combined with chemotherapy, has demonstrated an improvement in progression-free survival in patients with previously untreated, locally recurrent inoperable or metastatic TNBC whose tumors expressed PD-L1.

However, it is important to note that the efficacy of pembrolizumab can vary based on the expression of PD-L1 and the stage of cancer. The FDA approval of pembrolizumab for PD-L1-positive TNBC was based on the results of the KEYNOTE-355 trial, which showed a statistically significant improvement in progression-free survival compared to chemotherapy alone. This marked an important advancement in the management of a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer.

Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) in Breast Cancer Treatment

Trodelvy, with the generic name sacituzumab govitecan-hziy, is an antibody-drug conjugate that has been approved for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) who have received at least two prior therapies for metastatic disease. Trodelvy targets the Trop-2 receptor, which is expressed in the majority of TNBCs, and delivers the cytotoxic drug SN-38 directly to cancer cells. Clinical trials have shown that Trodelvy significantly improves overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with relapsed or refractory metastatic TNBC compared to standard single-agent chemotherapies.

The ASCENT study, which was pivotal for Trodelvy's approval, demonstrated a significant improvement in overall survival, with a median of 12.1 months for patients treated with Trodelvy compared to 6.7 months for those receiving chemotherapy. Additionally, the objective response rate was higher in the Trodelvy group, indicating a stronger anti-tumor response. These results represent a significant step forward in the treatment of TNBC, a form of breast cancer that is often challenging to treat due to its aggressive nature and lack of targeted therapies.