Margetuximab for the treatment of HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer

ABSTRACT

Introduction

No specific standard treatment is currently recommended for HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (BC) patients progressing to dual HER2 blockade and to trastuzumab emtansine (TDM-1). However, several novel anti-HER2 agents are emerging and rapidly revolutionizing this setting. Among these, the FC-engineered monoclonal antibody margetuximab has recently demonstrated to slightly improve progression-free survival (PFS) compared with trastuzumab, when combined with chemotherapy for pretreated HER2-positive advanced BC.

Areas covered

The present review article recapitulates the clinical development of margetuximab, critically discussing its implications in the current landscape of BC treatment algorithms.

Expert opinion

The clinical role of Margetuximab can only be interpreted in view of the rapidly evolving treatment landscape for pretreated HER2-positive advanced BC. Indeed, the recently approved anti-HER2 agents tucatinib and trastuzumab deruxtecan currently represent appealing options for the post-TDM1 setting, while margetuximab may have a role after progression to the abovementioned agents, in case of a future approval. Regardless of its clinical uptake, it should be noted that the development of margetuximab has relevantly improved our biological understanding of HER2-positive BC, highlighting the implication of patient’s genotype in determining treatment outcomes, as well as the relevance of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) in the context of HER2-blockade.

KEYWORDS:

• Margetuximab
• mgah22
• her2
• breast cancer
• sophia trial

Declaration of interest

G Curigliano received honoraria for speaker, consultancy or advisory roles from Roche, Pfizer, Novartis, Seattle Genetics, Lilly, Ellipses Pharma, Foundation Medicine and Samsung. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial relationships or otherwise to disclose.

Additional information

Funding

This paper is not funded.