The antibody-drug conjugate Trodelvy (sacituzumab govitecan) improved overall survival for women with HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer who had extensive prior treatment experience, researchers reported at the European Society for Medical Oncology Congress.

In the Phase III TROPiCS-02 trial, 543 patients with hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer were randomly assigned to receive either Trodelvy or an additional course of chemotherapy selected by their physician. Trodelvy uses a monoclonal antibody to deliver a potent chemotherapy drug directly to cancer cells. It is currently approved for advanced triple-negative breast cancer and bladder cancer.

Patients treated with Trodelvy had a median overall survival time of 14.4 months versus 11.2 months for those who received another round of chemotherapy— a 21% reduction in the risk for death. Trodelvy also improved progression-free survival by 34%. The treatment was generally safe, although side effects were common. Nonetheless, women who received Trodelvy reported less fatigue and delayed deterioration in their quality of life.

“It is outstanding to see a clinically meaningful survival benefit of over three months for patients with pretreated HR-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer,” says trial investigator Hope Rugo, MD, of the University of California San Francisco.