Avastin and Herceptin

[cmn]

Dear Al, I hope you are right about a new breakthrough. I will start a new clinical trial (BMS599626) in about 2 and a 1/2 weeks. I am a bit nervous because there is not a lot of data since this is only a phase 1 trial. So far only stable disease has been reported. I haven't been able to find much info about this new drug except that it is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, works on Her2 and egfr and is the sister to Lapatanib (it is a different compound though). I also found this article today(the bms drug is mentioned at the end of the article):
http://pubs.acs.org/email/cen/html042405142325.html
(I am her2+ and er-/pr-) Does anyone have more information or has been in this trial? I have already met somebody who was in this trial and it did not work for her. There is a washout period of 28 days(no treatment)
which makes me even more nervous. Best regards, Carol

[StephN]

Hi Carole -
There was buzz at San Antonio this Dec. about new drugs to block Her1, Her3 and Her4 pathways. By getting a drug that has the potential to interrupt two of those pathways at the same time you have a better chance of overcoming the tumors.
Not everyone who is HER-2 positive realizes that the reason Herceptin can fail is that the cancer will figure out another pathway besides HER2 for its proliferation route. This is also a reason why those of us whose disease is STRONGLY HER-2 positive will normally do better on Herceptin than those who are less positive.

This is a little complicated and gets into the reasons for the testing by FISH that will actually count the copies of HER-2 within a cell.

Now that the researchers know something about WHY Herceptin can fail, they are off on other directions to see where else they can foil the cancer.

My best wishes for a positive outcome for you in this trial. I also entered a trial for hard-to-treat mets in a very early phase over 4 years ago and manged to have a complete response. So, if someone can do it - it may as well be you, yes?!