Natera enrolls first patients in HEROES clinical trial Metastatic HER2+ BC

Natera (NTRA) announced the enrollment of the first patients in the HEROES clinical trial. HEROES is a multi-center, phase II trial that explores the discontinuation or de-escalation of anti-HER2 targeted therapy among patients with metastatic HER2+ breast cancer. The trial is supported by funding from the French Ministry of Health through the Hospital Clinical Research Program PHRC and is being sponsored by Unicancer. It is being developed within Unicancer’s French Breast Cancer Intergroup UCBG network. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 HER2 is a type of protein found in cancer cells that can cause rapid cancer growth when higher than normal levels are present. Between 15%-20% of breast tumors are HER2+. Current standard-of-care SOC recommendations for maintenance treatment include the use of anti-HER2 therapies, which for many patients means remaining on the drug for life. ..”We are excited to see the first patients enrolled in the HEROES clinical trial,” said Angel Rodriguez, M.D., senior medical director of oncology at Natera. “Safely discontinuing treatment has been a long-lasting dilemma in HER2 metastatic breast cancer. With Signatera monitoring, we hope oncologists can identify the patients without detectable disease who may be able to avoid additional therapy that can be costly and potentially harmful to their care.”