HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer, which accounts for ~20% of breast cancer, is one of the more aggressive and has the worst overall survival rate among them. These patients are treated with trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting the HER2 molecule. Even though trastuzumab is an effective therapy, resistance events hamper its clinical benefit, making the development of new therapies a constantly growing area of interest. In this review, we will summarize the current therapies for HER2+ breast cancer and review the therapeutic approaches effective in preclinical models and clinical trials which could contribute to the therapeutic landscape. We will investigate the development of novel HER2-targeted therapies such as antibodies, inhibitors, and bispecific antibodies, which is a burgeoning field in oncology. Furthermore, we will summarize the most recent developments in CAR-T, CAR-NK, and CAR-M therapies for the treatment of HER2+ tumors, as well as a brief review of cancer vaccines.
In this section wresearchers summarized the different therapies directed to HER2 that are currently part of the therapeutic landscape of HER2+ breast cancer such as monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) and their combination with anti-immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). WeResearchers described the current first line of the standard of care treatment which is the combination of trastuzumab, pertuzumab and taxanes, and the novel HER2-targeted antibodies directed to the same binding epitopes as the already approved monoclonal antibodies or different ones to achieve therapeutic effectiveness (margetuximab and 1E11).
Bispecific antibodies (BsAb) are antibodies that can bind two different antigens on the same or different molecule and are classified into two groups: the ones that have two Fabs and a Fc region (trifunctional antibodies) and the ones that do not have the latter. They exert their function through antibody-dependent cell phagocytosis (ADCP) and antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC), complement dependent cytotoxicity, inhibition of signaling pathways through interaction with membrane receptors and induction of apoptosis. The current state-of-the-art on BsAbs has been extensively reviewed [1]. Since several BsAbs have been developed and tested throughout the years, in this section wresearchers will summarize those that target the HER2 molecule and have promising results in preclinical or clinical trials (Table 1). Regarding the BsAbs, in threse article wearchers mentioned HER2/HER2, HER2/HER3, HER2/CD3 and HER2/CD16 BsAbs. Lastly, the main adverse events for bispecific antibodies consist of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) of grades 3 and 4 [2][3], which has been suggested to be avoided by retention of the Fc portion of the antibodies. The development of BsAb is a rapidly growing field, which is reflected in the plethora of antibodies being generated and tested in clinical and preclinical models. In the next few years, the ongoing clinical trials will be completed and could change the management of HER2+ breast cancer patients in the clinic.
Table 1. Bispecific antibodies for HER2+ breast cancer in clinical trials.
Drug |
Clinical Trial Identifier |
In Combination with |
Population |
Reference |
Trastuzumab/pertuzumab |
||||
MBS301 |
NCT03842085 |
Malignant HER2-expressing solid tumors |
[4] |
|
Zanidatamab (ZW25) |
NCT02892123 |
Chemotherapy |
HER2-expressing solid tumors |
|
NCT05035836 |
Early HER2+ breast cancer |
|
||
NCT04224272 |
Palbociclib and fulvestrant |
Advanced HER2+ breast cancer |
|
|
NCT05027139 |
Anti-CD47 |
Solid HER2+ tumors including the HER2-low breast cancer |
|
|
KN026 |
NCT04881929 |
Chemotherapy |
HER2+ breast cancer |
|
NCT04521179 |
KN046 (bispecific antibody against PD-1 and CTLA-4) |
Locally advanced HER2+ solid tumors and HER2+ solid tumor |
[7] |
|
NCT04778982 |
Palbociclib and fulvestrant |
Advanced breast cancer |
||
HER2/HER3 |
||||
Zenocutuzumab (MCLA-128) |
NCT03321981 |
Trastuzumab and chemotherapy or trastuzumab and vinorelbine |
HER2-low breast cancer and metastatic HER2+ breast cancer that progressed to T-DM1 treatment |
[8] |
MM-111 |
NCT01097460 |
Trastuzumab |
Advanced HER2 amplified and heregulin-positive breast cancer |
|
NCT00911898 |
Advanced, refractory HER2 A\amplified and heregulin-positive cancers |
Another striking approach for the treatment of cancer in the last few years are the antibody-drug conjugates (ADC), which take advantage of the specific targeting of monoclonal antibodies and combines it with drugs with potent cytotoxic effects, achieving targeted drug delivery [9]. The ADCs as a whole have a synergistic effect when compared to their parts alone; this is mainly due to the bystander killing effect, in which the drug payload can exert its effect not only on the target cells but also in the TME [10]. In addition, the ADCs have demonstrated that they are effective even when the target protein is expressed in small amounts. In HER2+ breast cancer, trastuzumab-emtansine (T-DM1) made its debut to revolutionize the field [11], and ADCs are being developed in hopes of better treatment options. In this sense, ADCs have shown promising results against brain metastases [12] and in HER2-low breast cancer [13]. There are currently 14 FDA-approved ADCs for various cancers, with the target molecule, conjugated drugs, and/or the linkers varying. Adverse events of ADCs account for 10–15% [14][15], and the most common are fatigue, neuropathies, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, pneumonitis, interstitial lung disease, and nausea [16][17][18]. The preeminent trastuzumab-based ADCs used in the clinical setting and those that have shown promising results in preclinical models are shown in Table 2.
Table 2. Current clinical trials of ADCs in HER2+ breast cancer.
Drug |
Payload |
Drug-to-Antibody Ratio |
Clinical Trial Identifyer |
In Combination with |
Population |
Reference |
T-DXd |
Deruxtecan (topoisomerase I inhibitor) |
~8 |
NCT04784715 |
Pertuzumab |
HER2+ metastatic breast cancer |
|
NCT04538742 |
Durvalumab (anti-PD-L1,) |
HER2+ metastatic breast cancer |
||||
NCT04538742, |
Tucatinib |
HER2+ breast cancer or HER2+ metastatic breast cancer |
||||
NCT04556773 |
Durvalumab, paclitaxel, capivasertib, anastrozole, fulvestrant, or capecitabine |
HER2-low advanced or metastatic breast cancer |
[19] |
|||
Trastuzumab-duocarmycine (SYD985) |
Duocarmycine (DNA alkylating agent) |
2.8 |
NCT03262935 |
HER2+ locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer |
[20] |
|
NCT01042379 (I-SPY) |
Chemotherapy |
Breast cancer |
||||
NCT04602117 (ISPY-P1.01) |
Paclitaxel |
Metastatic cancer |
||||
NCT04235101 |
Niraparib (PARP inhibitor) |
Solid tumors |
||||
ARX788 |
Amberstatin 269 (microtubule inhibitor) |
2 |
NCT01042379 |
HER2+ breast cancer |
||
NCT04829604, NCT02512237 |
HER2+ metastatic breast cancer |
|||||
NCT05041972 |
HER2-mutated or HER2-amplified tumors |
|||||
NCT05018676 |
HER2-low breast cancer |
|||||
NCT05018702 |
Breast cancer patients with brain metastasis |
|||||
NCT03255070 |
HER2+ solid tumors |
|||||
Disitamab vedotin (RC48) |
Monomethyl auristatin E (microtubule inhibitor) |
4 |
NCT02881190 |
Advanced or metastatic HER2+ tumors |
[21] |
|
NCT05134519 |
HER2+ breast cancer |
|||||
NCT04400695 |
Locally advanced or metastatic HER2-low breast cancer |
|||||
NCT05331326 |
HER2-expression metastatic breast cancer with abnormal activation of PAM pathway |
|||||
NCT03052634 |
Advanced breast cancer |
|||||
NCT05726175 |
Penpulimab (AK105) |
HER2-low breast cancer |
||||
NCT03500380 |
HER2+ metastatic breast cancer with or without liver metastases |
|||||
A166 |
Duo-5 (microtubule inhibitor) |
2.8 |
NCT03602079 |
Relapsed/refractory cancers wxpressing HER2 antigen or amplified HER2 gene |
||
MRG002 |
Monomethyl auristatin E (microtubule inhibitor) |
~3.8 |
NCT05263869 |
HER2+ advanced breast cancer |
||
NCT04924699 |
HER2+ metastatic tumors |
|||||
NCT04742153 |
HER2-low locally advanced metastatic breast cancer |
|||||
Zanidatamab zovodotin (ZW49) |
Auristatin based (microtubule inhibitor) |
2 |
NCT03821233 |
Metastatic HER2+ tumors |
||
BDC-1001 |
TLR7/8 agonist |
Not reported |
NCT04278144 |
Nivolumab |
Advanced HER2-expressing solid tumors |
[25] |
ALT-P7 |
Monomethyl auristatin E (microtubule inhibitor) |
2 |
NCT03281824 |
HER2+ breast cancer |
[26] |
|
XMT-1522 |
Auristatin derivative (AF-HPA) |
12 |
NCT02952729 |
Advanced HER2+ breast cancer patients |
[27] |
|
PF-06804103 |
Derivative of auristatin |
4 |
NCT03284723 |
HER2+ breast cancer |
[28] |
|
Targeted thorium-227 conjugates (TTCs)/BAY2701439 |
Thorium-227 (cytotoxic alpha radiation) |
Not reported |
NCT04147819 |
Advanced HER2-expressing cancer |
TKIs are a family of small molecules that inhibit protein tyrosine kinases, which are responsible for signal transduction to regulate cellular, physiological, and biochemical processes. TKIs compete with ATP in tyrosine kinase receptors’ ATP binding domain, inhibiting downstream signaling [29]. In this sense, TKIs can inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and induce apoptosis. Due to their size, TKIs can cross the blood-brain barrier more easily than other HER2-targeted therapies such as monoclonal antibodies or ADCs [30]. Several TKIs that target the HER2 family are currently approved for the treatment of cancer in combination with other therapies, and this area is still being researched due to resistance events that impair their effectiveness and off-target toxicity which usually implies diarrhea, rash, infections, and hepatic toxicity [31][32].
Lapatinib was the first FDA-approved TKI for the treatment of HER2+ and HER2-low breast cancer [33]. Is a reversible small molecule inhibitor of EGFR/HER1 and HER2 that blocks the phosphorylation of the receptors, which inhibits the activation of the MAPK and PI3-K pathways and consequently inhibits cell proliferation [34]. Lapatinib showed penetration of the blood-brain barrier and exhibited a reduction in brain metastases, as it was reported in the EGF105084 [35], LANDSCAPE [36], and CEREBEL [37] clinical trials. In this regard, Khan et al. reported intracranial activity of lapatinib and increased survival for HER2+ breast cancer patients with brain metastases in a meta-analysis [38]. Currently, lapatinib is FDA-approved for breast cancer treatment in combination with letrozole or capecitabine in hormone receptor positive and HER2+ breast cancer, or with capecitabine or with trastuzumab for receptor positive and HER2+ postmenopausal patients, in which case an increase in PFS was observed but no benefit in overall survival [39]. Lapatinib is not currently approved for its use in the neoadjuvant setting.
Neratinib is an irreversible pan-HER inhibitor that not only has a greater effect than lapatinib but also can increase trastuzumab-mediated ADCC [40][41][42][43]. Preclinical studies showed that neratinib induces cell cycle arrest and proliferation inhibition in HER2-expressing cells [44]. In the exteNET clinical trial, neratinib showed a 73% rate of response in patients with HER2+ metastatic breast cancer previously treated with adjuvant or neoadjuvant trastuzumab, but on the other hand, it exhibited high toxicity, which led to dose reduction and treatment of the adverse events diarrhea [45][46][47][48]. When tested in patients with early HER2+ breast cancer, the results were as promising as for the advanced cases, since neratinib showed an improvement in disease-free survival [49]. Neratinib in combination with lapatinib showed better tolerability and effectiveness than lapatinib alone [50]. Neratinib is currently being tested in combination with other therapies such as T-DM1 (NCT02236000) [51] and fulvestrant (NCT03289039) [52][53]. Regarding brain metastases, neratinib showed a reduced incidence of central nervous system events [54][55][56]. Given these clinical trial results, adjuvant neratinib was FDA-approved in 2017 for patients with HER2+ breast cancer who were previously treated with adjuvant trastuzumab for one year, and it is also administered in combination with capecitabine since 2020 for patients who received at least two previous anti-HER2 treatments [57].
Tucatinib is a selective HER2 TKI with reduced inhibition on EGFR that exhibited antitumor activity in breast and gastric tumors in preclinical models administered as a monotherapy [58] or in combination with trastuzumab in HER2+ breast cancer xenograft models [59]. These results led to the development of a phase 1 clinical trial (HER2CLIMB and NCT02614794) to test tucatinib in combination with trastuzumab and capecitabine, which showed great antitumor effect in metastatic breast cancer with the only adverse events being diarrhea, nausea, and palmo-plantar erythrodysesthesia [60]. Given the results of the phase 3 HER2CLIMB [61] trial, tucatinib was approved by the FDA in 2020 to treat patients with metastatic HER+ breast cancer. Tucatinib also showed improved efficacy in reducing brain metastasis [62][63]. Considering these results, tucatinib is the first TKI that was approved by the FDA for the treatment of brain metastases. Due to the promising results of tucatinib, there are several clinical trials exploring the effect of the combination of tucatinib with T-DM1 (NCT04457596, NCT03975647, NCT01983501, and NCT05323955), with T-DXd (NCT04539938 and NCT04538742), and with CDK4/6 inhibitors (NCT03054363) in HER2+ breast cancer patients.
The TKIs that are currently being used in the clinic and those that have been successful in preclinical or clinical trials and could offer therapeutic alternatives are shown in Table 3.
Table 3. Current clinical trials of selected TKIs in HER2+ breast cancer.
Drug |
Description |
In Combination with |
Clinical Trial Identifyer |
Population |
Reference |
Tucatinib |
Selective and reversible HER2 inhibitor with minimal inhibition of EGFR/HER1 |
T-DM1 |
NCT04457596, |
HER2+ breast cancer |
|
T-DXd |
NCT04539938, |
HER2+ breast cancer |
|
||
Pyrotinib |
Irreversible pan-HER inhibitor |
NCT01937689 |
HER2+ metastatic breast cancer |
[64] |
|
Capecitabine |
NCT02361112 |
HER2+ metastatic breast cancer |
[65] |
||
Poziotinib |
Irreversible pan-HER inhibitor |
T-DM1 |
NCT03429101 |
HER2+ breast cancer |
|
Epertinib (S-222611) |
Reversible pan-HER inhibitor |
2013-003894-87 |
HER2+ tumors |
||
DZD1516 |
Selective HER2 inhibitor |
Trastuzumab and capecitabine or T-DM1 |
NCT04509596 |
Metastatic HER2+ breast cancer |
[69] |
Despite the efforts for developing new strategies against the HER2 molecule, there are still a 20% of the patients with local disease who experience de novo or acquired resistance to the HER2-targeted therapies [70]. In particular, the in vivo mechanism of action of trastuzumab and trastuzumab-based therapies relies on the innate and adaptive immune response. ADCC and ADCP, mainly performed by NK cells and macrophages, respectively, trigger an innate immune response that promotes antigen presentation and the subsequent adaptive immune response [71][72][73][74]. This evidence and preclinical data point out that using ICI enhances the trastuzumab antitumor effect, providing the rational basis for the combination of ICI with HER2-targeted therapies to overcome therapy resistance [75]. The combination of ICIs and HER2-targeted therapies that were or are being tested in the clinical setting are listed in Table 4.
Table 4.
Clinical trials combining immunotherapies with HER2-targeted therapies.
ID |
Type of Study |
Status |
No. Patients |
Population |
Treatment |
Pembrolizumab (anti PD-1 antibody) |
|||||
NCT02129556 PANACEA |
Phase 1/2 Single arm |
Completed |
58 |
Metastatic HER2+ breast cancer, trastuzumab-resistant |
Pembrolizumab with trastuzumab [76] |
NCT03747120 |
Phase 2 open-label, randomized |
Recruiting |
174 |
Naive patients with invasive human HER2+ breast cancer whose primary tumors are > 2 cm and/or clinically lymph node-positive |
Neoadjuvant trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and paclitaxel Arm A: trastuzumab + pertuzumab + paclitaxel, Arm B: trastuzumab + pertuzumab + paclitaxel+ pembrolizumab or Arm C: trastuzumab + pembrolizumab + paclitaxel [77]. |
Phase 1b |
Active, not recruiting |
27 |
Metastatic HER2+ breast cancer |
Pembrolizumab + T-DM1 |
|
NCT04789096 TUGETHER |
Two arms, phase 2 |
Not yet recruiting |
50 |
Women or men with HER2+, metastatic breast cancer, who have progressed since previous treatment |
Pembrolizumab + tucatinib + trastuzumab (PD-L1+) or Pembrolizumab + tucatinib + trastuzumab + capecitabine (PD-L1-) |
NCT04660929 |
Phase 1, open label |
Recruiting |
48 |
HER2+ recurrent or metastatic solid tumors |
Anti-HER2 CAR macrophages + pembrolizumab |
NCT05020860 I-SPY trial |
Phase 2, open label |
Not yet recruiting |
185 |
Early HER2+ breast cancer |
Neoadjuvant paclitaxel + trastuzumab + pertuzumab in combination with pembrolizumab |
NCT03272334 Breast-47 |
Phase 1/2 |
Recruiting |
33 |
Metastatic HER2+ breast cancer |
Pembrolizumab administered in combination with HER2 and CD3 bispecific antibody armed activated T cell (BATs) infusions |
Atezolizumab (anti-PD-L1 antibody) |
|||||
NCT02924883 KATE2 |
Phase 2, double blind |
Completed |
133 |
Locally advaced or metastatic HER2+ breast cancer |
Atezolizumab and trastuzumab-emtansine (T-DM1) Arm 1: T-DM1 + atezolizumab, Arm 2: T-DM1 + placebo [78] |
NCT04740918 KATE3 |
Phase 3, doble blind |
Recruiting |
320 |
Locally advanced or metastatic HER2+ and PD-L1+ breast cancer who have received prior trastuzumab- (+/− pertuzumab) and taxane-based therapies |
Atezolizumab and T-DM1 Arm A: T-DM1 + placebo, Arm B: T-DM1 + atezolizumab |
NCT03726879 IMpassion050 |
Phase 3, doble blind |
Active, not recruiting |
454 |
High-risk early HER2+ breast cancer |
Atezolizumab or placebo in combination with neoadjuvant doxorubicin + cyclophosphamide followed by paclitaxel + trastuzumab + pertuzumab (ddAC-PacHP) Arm 1: Atezolizumab + ddAC-PacHP. Arm 2: placebo + ddAC-PacHP [79] |
NCT04873362 Astefania |
Phase 3, doble blind |
Recruiting |
1700 |
High risk HER2+ breast cancer following preoperative therapy |
Adjuvant atezolizumab or placebo and T-DM1. Arm A: placebo + T-DM1. Arm B: Atezolizumab + T-DM1 [80] |
NCT02605915 |
Phase 1, open label |
Completed |
98 |
HER2+ and HER2− breast cancer |
Atezolizumab + T-DM1 or with trastuzumab and pertuzumab (with and without docetaxel) in patients with HER2+ breast cancer and atezolizumab + doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in HER2− breast cancer |
NCT03417544 |
Phase 2 |
Active, not recruiting |
33 |
Central nervous system metastases in patients with HER2+ breast cancer |
Atezolizumab + pertuzumab + high-dose trastuzumab |
NCT03199885 |
Phase 3, doble blind |
Active, not recruiting |
600 |
First-line metastatic HER2+ breast cancer |
Arm I: pertuzumab + trastuzumab + taxane therapy + atezolizumab. Arm II: pertuzumab + trastuzumab + taxane therapy + placebo |
NCT04759248 ATREZZO |
Phase 2, open label |
Recruiting |
110 |
Advanced/metastatic HER2+ breast cancer |
Atezolizumab + trastuzumab + vinorelbine |
NCT03595592 APTneo |
Phase 3, open label |
Active, not recruiting |
650 |
Early high-risk and locally advanced HER2+ breast cancer |
Arm 1:Trastuzumab + pertuzumab + carboplatin + paclitaxel (HPCT). Arm 2: Doxorubicin + cyclophosphamide (AC) followed by HPCT + atezolizumab, Arm 3: HPCT + atezolizumab |
|
Durvalumab (anti PD-L1 antibody) |
||||
NCT02649686 CCTG IND.229 |
Phase 1, open label |
Completed |
15 |
Metastatic HER2+ breast cancer receiving trastuzumab |
Durvalumab + trastuzumab [81] |
NCT04538742 DB-07 |
Phase 1b/2, open label |
Recruiting |
450 |
Metastatic HER2+ breast cancer |
Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (T-DXd) in Combination With Other Anti-cancer Agents |
|
Avelumab (anti PD-L1 antibody) |
||||
NCT01772004 JAVELIN solid tumor |
Phase 1, open label |
Completed |
1756 |
Metastatic or locally advaced solid tumors |
Avelumab monotherapy to 26 HER2+ breast cancer [82] |
NCT03414658 AVIATOR |
Phase 2, open label |
Recruiting |
100 |
Advanced HER2+ breast cancer |
Trastuzumab + vinorelbine with avelumab or avelumab + utomilumab (anti CD137) |
|
Monalizumab (anti-NKG2A antibody) |
||||
NCT04307329 MIMOSA |
Phase 2, open label |
Active, not recruiting |
38 |
Metastatic HER2+ breast cancer |
Molalizumab + trastuzumab in cohort of low TILS (< 5%) or cohort of high TILS (≥ 5%) [83] |
IMM2902 (HER2/SIRPα Bispecific mAb-Trap Antibody-receptor Fusion Protein) |
|||||
NCT05076591 |
Phase 1, open label |
Recruiting |
135 |
Advanced solid tumors HER2+ |
IMM2902, dose escalation |
Utomilumab (anti-CD137 antibody) |
|||||
NCT03414658 AVIATOR |
Phase 2, open label |
Recruiting |
100 |
Advanced HER2+ breast cancer |
Trastuzumab + vinorelbine with avelumab or avelumab + utomilumab (anti CD137) |
NCT03364348 |
Phase 1, open label |
Completed |
18 |
Advanced HER2+ breast cancer |
Utomilumab + T-DM1 or trastuzumab |
The full researticlech also addresses the combination of ICIs and BsAb, the enhancement of ADCP, ADCC or the adaptive immune response through immunotherapy in combination with HER2-targeted therapies, cell therapies (such as CAR-T, CAR-M or CAR-NK), anti-cancer vaccines and exosome-based therapies for the treatment of HER2+ or HER2-low breast cancer.
Since the description of the HER2 receptor as a biomarker and an attractive therapeutic target for HER2+ breast cancer, several drugs have been developed, with trastuzumab dominating the treatment landscape for this breast cancer subtype. However, resistance events impair the clinical benefit, indicating that the development of novel HER2-targeted therapies is not only desirable but also required. In this sense, there are more than 2000 clinical trials registered to date to evaluate new HER2-targeted therapies. Along with drug development, new tools, such as single-cell sequencing, theranostics, spatial transcriptomics, and proteomics, have been developed in tandem with the technological advances. The HER2+ landscape treatment can count on multiple HER2-targeting monoclonal antibodies, HER2-targeted ADCs, which have proven to be promising in the clinical setting; for example, T-DXd became the second line of treatment for HER2+ breast cancer patients. Several new TKIs have been developed and tested, among others, that have improved the management of HER2+ breast cancer patients and will change clinical practice. One of the main complications in cancer is the establishment of metastasis, and in this sense, some of the therapies mentioned in this mreseanuscriptrch have shown to be effective in the metastatic setting. All the above-mentioned initiatives encourage the scientific community to collaborate on the development of new HER2-targeted therapies and clinical trials testing different treatment combinations that could overcome tumor progression or even metastasis. The importance of discovering new biomarkers that can predict therapy response must be emphasized in this regard, as this will allow uresearchers to determine which patients will benefit from which therapies or combination treatments offer them the best treatment option.