emirates7 - A new triple-drug treatment for aggressive, advanced breast cancer has been shown to slow disease progression, postpone the need for further chemotherapy, and extend patients' lives, according to recent research.
This combination therapy includes two targeted drugs—inavolisib and palbociclib—along with the hormone therapy fulvestrant. Patients receiving this regimen lived on average seven months longer than those in the control group, who were treated with only palbociclib and fulvestrant.
The treatment also delayed cancer progression by an average of 17.2 months, compared to 7.3 months for the control group. Additionally, patients on inavolisib postponed the start of subsequent chemotherapy by nearly two years longer than those who did not receive it.
These findings, funded by Roche, were shared at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The international trial included 325 patients from 28 countries, such as the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, Brazil, France, and Germany.
Experts noted the triple therapy’s effectiveness in targeting PIK3CA-mutated HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer—a common subtype of the disease.
Around 70% of breast cancer patients have HR+, HER2- cancer, and 35-40% of these cases carry PIK3CA mutations, which are linked to tumor growth, disease advancement, and resistance to treatment.
Dr. Jane Lowe Meisel, Co-Director of Breast Medical Oncology at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute and an ASCO breast cancer expert, said, “The INAVO120 trial has found a targeted treatment regimen that significantly improves survival for patients with untreated PIK3CA-mutated hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer—a major advancement.”
The results also showed that approximately 62.7% of patients on the triple therapy experienced substantial tumor shrinkage, compared to just 28% in the control group. Dr. Simon Vincent from Breast Cancer Now described the findings as a “significant breakthrough.”
Dr. Nisharnthi Duggan from Cancer Research UK emphasized, “Adding inavolisib to targeted therapies improved survival, delayed cancer progression, and postponed chemotherapy, potentially enhancing quality of life. We hope this research leads to kinder treatments and more time with loved ones.”
More than half of the trial participants had cancer that had spread to three or more organs. Researchers used liquid biopsy blood tests analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to identify patients with the PIK3CA mutation. Patients were then randomly assigned to receive either the inavolisib combination or a control treatment of palbociclib, fulvestrant, and a placebo.
Inavolisib works by blocking the activity of the PIK3CA protein. The treatment was generally well tolerated, with only a small number of patients discontinuing due to side effects.
Professor Nick Turner of the Institute of Cancer Research, London, who led the UK portion of the trial, stated, “This study showed that inavolisib-based therapy not only extended patients’ lives but more than doubled the time before their cancer worsened. It also allowed patients to delay chemotherapy—something they strongly wish to avoid for as long as possible.”
This combination therapy includes two targeted drugs—inavolisib and palbociclib—along with the hormone therapy fulvestrant. Patients receiving this regimen lived on average seven months longer than those in the control group, who were treated with only palbociclib and fulvestrant.
The treatment also delayed cancer progression by an average of 17.2 months, compared to 7.3 months for the control group. Additionally, patients on inavolisib postponed the start of subsequent chemotherapy by nearly two years longer than those who did not receive it.
These findings, funded by Roche, were shared at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The international trial included 325 patients from 28 countries, such as the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, Brazil, France, and Germany.
Experts noted the triple therapy’s effectiveness in targeting PIK3CA-mutated HR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer—a common subtype of the disease.
Around 70% of breast cancer patients have HR+, HER2- cancer, and 35-40% of these cases carry PIK3CA mutations, which are linked to tumor growth, disease advancement, and resistance to treatment.
Dr. Jane Lowe Meisel, Co-Director of Breast Medical Oncology at Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute and an ASCO breast cancer expert, said, “The INAVO120 trial has found a targeted treatment regimen that significantly improves survival for patients with untreated PIK3CA-mutated hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer—a major advancement.”
The results also showed that approximately 62.7% of patients on the triple therapy experienced substantial tumor shrinkage, compared to just 28% in the control group. Dr. Simon Vincent from Breast Cancer Now described the findings as a “significant breakthrough.”
Dr. Nisharnthi Duggan from Cancer Research UK emphasized, “Adding inavolisib to targeted therapies improved survival, delayed cancer progression, and postponed chemotherapy, potentially enhancing quality of life. We hope this research leads to kinder treatments and more time with loved ones.”
More than half of the trial participants had cancer that had spread to three or more organs. Researchers used liquid biopsy blood tests analyzing circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) to identify patients with the PIK3CA mutation. Patients were then randomly assigned to receive either the inavolisib combination or a control treatment of palbociclib, fulvestrant, and a placebo.
Inavolisib works by blocking the activity of the PIK3CA protein. The treatment was generally well tolerated, with only a small number of patients discontinuing due to side effects.
Professor Nick Turner of the Institute of Cancer Research, London, who led the UK portion of the trial, stated, “This study showed that inavolisib-based therapy not only extended patients’ lives but more than doubled the time before their cancer worsened. It also allowed patients to delay chemotherapy—something they strongly wish to avoid for as long as possible.”