Pertuzumab reverses resistance to TDM-1!!! Thank you, Neil Spector
 

Neil Spector was in charge of lapatinib development at GSK. Upon its approval her returned to academic medicine and has found that one mechanism of resistance to TDM1 is upregulation of heregulin which can be prevented by Pertuzumab.

All approved treatments!!

They are just now learning what are the best combinations to prevent and treat resistance. Hopefully they will soon determine how to find the magic two (synthetic lethality) or three signals to block for EACH PARTICULAR PATIENT's tumor to stop it in its tracks before it can develop resistance.

Clin Cancer Res. 2013 Nov 15. [Epub ahead of print]
Pertuzumab protects the Achilles' heel of trastuzumab-emtansine.
Gwin WR, Spector NL.
Source
Medicine, Duke University.
Abstract
T-DM1 represents a significant advancement in the treatment of HER2+ breast cancers. Its clinical efficacy however, will be limited by development of therapeutic resistance. In this report, the HER3 ligand neuregulin is shown to mediate T-DM1 resistance, which was overcome by administration of pertuzumab, a steric inhibitor of HER2 dimerization.
PMID: 24240115 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Re: Pertuzumab reverses resistance to TDM-1!!! Thank you, Neil Spector
 

Thanks Lani
Good news for sure! Surely very soon we should be able to stop her2 breast cancer in its tracks! Thank God we have such bright people fighting our corner!

Ellie

Re: Pertuzumab reverses resistance to TDM-1!!! Thank you, Neil Spector
 

What wonderful news!