HER2 Introduction:

In the late 1980s, researchers discovered that approximately one in four women with breast cancer produce abnormally high amounts of a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, or HER2, a member of the HER family of receptor proteins.1Following more than a decade of research, this discovery led to the development of a treatment designed to specifically target HER2-positive cancer cells – the first targeted biologic therapy for breast cancer. The proven clinical benefit of this approach fundamentally changed how the disease is treated and encouraged further research into HER2 and related proteins. To date, six approved therapies and several investigational agents have been designed to target various components of the HER pathway in patients with a range of cancer types. These therapies have led to improvements in clinical outcomes, while shedding light on the underlying biology of various forms of cancer.