Dr. Ramalingam on the Efficacy of Trastuzumab Deruxtecan in HER2+ NSCLC

Suresh S. Ramalingam, MD, FASCO, deputy director of the Lung Cancer Program at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University; Roberto C. Goizueta Distinguished Chair for Cancer Research, professor and assistant dean for cancer research, and director of the Division of Medical Oncology in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine, discusses the efficacy of fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu) in patients with HER2-positive non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

One of the most important updates to read out in 2020 for this population were the results of the phase 2 DESTINY-Lung01 trial with antibody–drug conjugate (ADC) trastuzumab deruxtecan, which were presented during the 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program, according to Ramalingam. The trial featured a small cohort of 42 patients who received the HER2-targeted ADC. 

The results of the trial showed that the agent elicited an overall response rate of 61.9% and a median progression-free survival of 14.0 months, says Ramalingam. These findings represent an important advancement in the treatment of patients with HER2-positive NSCLC, Ramalingam explains. Although it will be important for more mature data to read out, these results are significant, as earlier efforts made to target HER2 in this patient population have been largely unsuccessful, Ramalingam concludes.