ENHERTU® Recommended for Approval in the EU by CHMP for Patients with HER2 Low or HER2 Ultralow Metastatic Breast Cancer Following at Least One Endocrine Therapy

Rhea-AI Summary

ENHERTU (trastuzumab deruxtecan) has received CHMP recommendation for EU approval as a monotherapy for patients with unresectable or metastatic HR positive, HER2 low or ultralow breast cancer. The recommendation is based on the DESTINY-Breast06 phase 3 trial results, which demonstrated:

- 38% reduction in disease progression/death risk vs chemotherapy
- Median progression-free survival of 13.2 months vs 8.1 months with chemotherapy
- Objective response rate of 56.5% vs 32.2% with chemotherapy
- Similar benefits observed in HER2 ultralow population

The safety profile aligned with previous trials, with notable adverse events including neutropenia (20.7%), leukopenia (6.9%), and anemia (5.8%). Interstitial lung disease occurred in 11.3% of patients, mostly low-grade.

Positive

• 38% reduction in disease progression/death risk vs chemotherapy
• 13.2 months median PFS vs 8.1 months for chemotherapy
• 56.5% objective response rate vs 32.2% for chemotherapy
• Positive efficacy in both HER2 low and ultralow populations
• Potential first-in-class approval for this specific indication in EU

Negative

• 11.3% of patients experienced interstitial lung disease/pneumonitis
• Three grade 5 (fatal) adverse events reported
• High rate (20.7%) of grade 3+ neutropenia

Insights

Oncology Specialist

The CHMP recommendation for ENHERTU in HER2 low/ultralow metastatic breast cancer patients represents a significant therapeutic advancement. The DESTINY-Breast06 trial demonstrated remarkable efficacy with a 38% reduction in disease progression risk and median progression-free survival of 13.2 months versus 8.1 months for chemotherapy.

What's particularly noteworthy is ENHERTU's efficacy in the challenging HER2 ultralow population, showing consistent benefit across the spectrum of low HER2 expression. The objective response rate of 56.5% versus 32.2% for chemotherapy underscores its superior efficacy profile. This recommendation positions ENHERTU to become the first HER2-directed therapy for HR-positive patients directly following endocrine therapy failure, representing a paradigm shift in treatment sequencing.

The safety profile remains consistent with previous trials, though the 11.3% incidence of interstitial lung disease requires appropriate monitoring protocols. If approved, this would expand targeted therapy options to a broader patient population previously to conventional chemotherapy after endocrine therapy failure, potentially improving outcomes for thousands of European patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Pharmaceutical Market Analyst

This CHMP recommendation substantially strengthens AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo's position in the lucrative EU oncology market. The expansion to HER2 low/ultralow patients following endocrine therapy significantly widens ENHERTU's addressable population beyond its current approvals in 75+ countries.

This recommendation is strategically valuable as it positions ENHERTU earlier in the treatment paradigm - immediately after endocrine therapy rather than after chemotherapy failure. This upstream positioning typically translates to longer treatment durations and consequently higher revenue potential per patient. The inclusion of HER2 ultralow patients (IHC 0 with membrane staining) is particularly innovative, creating a new targetable segment previously considered HER2-negative.

The robust efficacy data from DESTINY-Breast06 provides compelling evidence for both physicians and payers, likely supporting favorable reimbursement decisions across European markets. With final European Commission approval typically following 2-3 months after positive CHMP opinions, AstraZeneca could begin commercialization in this expanded indication by mid-2025, potentially accelerating ENHERTU's already impressive growth trajectory. This represents another successful milestone in AstraZeneca's strategic pivot toward oncology as a core therapeutic area.

• Recommendation based on DESTINY-Breast06 phase 3 trial results which showed ENHERTU demonstrated superiority versus chemotherapy with a median progression-free survival of more than one year

TOKYO & MUNICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and AstraZeneca’s (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) ENHERTU^® (trastuzumab deruxtecan) has been recommended for approval in the European Union (EU) as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic hormone receptor (HR) positive, HER2 low (IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH-) or HER2 ultralow (IHC 0 with membrane staining) breast cancer who have received at least one endocrine therapy in the metastatic setting and who are not considered suitable for endocrine therapy as the next line of treatment.

ENHERTU is a specifically engineered HER2 directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo and being jointly developed and commercialized by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca.

The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) based its positive opinion on results from the DESTINY-Breast06 phase 3 trial presented at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (#ASCO24) Annual Meeting and published in The New England Journal of Medicine. The recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission, which has the authority to grant marketing authorizations for medicines in the EU.

In the DESTINY-Breast06 trial, ENHERTU demonstrated a 38% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death versus chemotherapy in patients with chemotherapy-naïve HR positive, HER2 low metastatic breast cancer (n=713; hazard ratio [HR] 0.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.52-0.75; p<0.0001) as assessed by blinded independent review (BICR). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 13.2 months (95% CI: 11.4-15.2) in the ENHERTU arm compared to 8.1 months (95% CI: 7.0-9.0) in the chemotherapy arm.

Confirmed objective response rate (ORR) in the HER2 low population was 56.5% (95% CI: 51.2-61.7) in the ENHERTU arm versus 32.2% in the chemotherapy arm (95% CI: 27.4-37.3). There were nine complete responses (CRs) and 194 partial responses (PRs) seen in the ENHERTU arm, compared to zero CRs and 114 PRs in the chemotherapy arm. Median duration of response (DOR) was 14.1 months in the ENHERTU arm versus 8.6 months in the chemotherapy arm.

In the overall trial population of patients with chemotherapy-naïve HR positive, HER2 low or HER2 ultralow metastatic breast cancer (n=866), ENHERTU achieved a similar 36% reduction in the risk of disease progression or death versus chemotherapy (HR 0.64; 95% CI: 0.54-0.76; p<0.0001). A median PFS of 13.2 months (95% CI: 12.0-15.2) was seen in patients treated with ENHERTU compared to 8.1 months (95% CI: 7.0-9.0) in patients treated with chemotherapy.

Confirmed ORR in the overall trial population was 57.3% (95% CI: 52.5-62.0) in the ENHERTU arm versus 31.2% (95% CI: 26.8-35.8) in the chemotherapy arm. There were 13 CRs and 237 PRs seen in the ENHERTU arm, compared to zero CRs and 134 PRs in the chemotherapy arm. Median DOR was 14.3 months in the ENHERTU arm versus 8.6 months in the chemotherapy arm.

An exploratory analysis of the HER2 ultralow population (n=153; HR 0.78; 95% CI: 0.50-1.21) showed the clinically meaningful improvement in PFS was consistent between patients with HER2 low and HER2 ultralow expression, with 13.2 months (95% CI: 9.8-17.3) in patients treated with ENHERTU compared to 8.3 months (95% CI: 5.8-15.2) in those treated with chemotherapy. Confirmed ORR was 61.8% (95% CI: 50.0-72.8) in the ENHERTU arm versus 26.3% in the chemotherapy arm (95% CI: 16.9-37.7). There were four CRs and 43 PRs seen in the ENHERTU arm, compared to zero CRs and 20 PRs in the chemotherapy arm. Median DOR was 14.3 months in the ENHERTU arm versus 14.1 months in the chemotherapy arm.

“ENHERTU is the first HER2 directed treatment and antibody drug conjugate to show a progression free survival of more than one year in patients with HER2 low or HER2 ultralow metastatic breast cancer following endocrine therapy,” said Ken Takeshita, MD, Global Head, R&D, Daiichi Sankyo. “The CHMP recommendation is encouraging and supports our goal of further developing and advancing the way breast cancer is classified and treated.”

“Endocrine therapy is typically used in the initial treatment of HR positive metastatic breast cancer but as the disease progresses the benefit of continued endocrine therapy is limited and subsequent standard of care chemotherapy is associated with poor outcomes,” said Susan Galbraith, MBBChir, PhD, Executive Vice President, Oncology Hematology R&D, AstraZeneca. “ENHERTU has the potential to be the first HER2 directed treatment for patients in the EU with HR positive, HER2 low or HER2 ultralow metastatic breast cancer directly following endocrine therapy, which would mark an important shift in how patients in this setting are treated.”

In DESTINY-Breast06, the safety profile of ENHERTU was consistent with previous breast cancer clinical trials with no new safety concerns identified. The most common grade 3 or higher treatment related treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) occurring in 5% or more of patients treated with ENHERTU were neutropenia (20.7%), leukopenia (6.9%) and anemia (5.8%). Interstitial lung disease (ILD) or pneumonitis occurred in 11.3% of patients treated with ENHERTU. The majority of ILD or pneumonitis events were low grade (grade 1 [n=7; 1.6%] or grade 2 [n=36; 8.3%]). There were three grade 3 ILD events (0.7%), zero grade 4 events and three grade 5 events (0.7%) as determined by an independent adjudication committee.

ENHERTU is already approved in more than 75 countries, including the EU, for patients with HER2 low metastatic breast cancer who have received a prior systemic therapy in the metastatic setting or developed disease recurrence during or within six months of completing adjuvant chemotherapy based on the results from the DESTINY-Breast04 trial.

About DESTINY-Breast06
DESTINY-Breast06 is a global, randomized, open-label, phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of ENHERTU (5.4 mg/kg) versus investigator’s choice of chemotherapy (capecitabine, paclitaxel or nab paclitaxel) in patients with HR positive, HER2 low (IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH-) or HER2 ultralow (defined as IHC 0 with membrane staining) advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Patients in the trial had no prior chemotherapy for advanced or metastatic disease and received at least two lines of prior endocrine therapy in the metastatic setting. Patients also were eligible if they had received one prior line of endocrine therapy combined with a CDK4/6 inhibitor in the metastatic setting and experienced disease progression within six months of starting first-line treatment or received endocrine therapy as an adjuvant treatment and experienced disease recurrence within 24 months.

HER2 IHC status was confirmed by a central laboratory and determined based on the most recent evaluable HER2 IHC sample prior to randomization. In tumor samples from patients screened for trial eligibility, nearly two-thirds of tumors previously assessed as IHC 0 at a local laboratory were re-classified as HER2 low or HER2 ultralow upon central analysis of the archival tumor sample. It was also observed that approximately 85% to 90% patients with HR positive, HER2 negative metastatic breast cancer may have actionable levels of HER2 expression.

The primary endpoint of DESTINY-Breast06 is PFS in the HR positive, HER2 low patient population as measured by BICR. Key secondary endpoints include PFS by BICR in the overall trial population (HER2 low and HER2 ultralow), OS in patients in the HER2 low patient population and OS in the overall trial population. Other secondary endpoints include ORR, DOR, time to first subsequent treatment or death, time to second subsequent treatment or death and safety. Analysis of the HER2 ultralow subgroup was not powered to demonstrate statistical significance.

DESTINY-Breast06 enrolled 866 patients (n=713 for HER2 low and n=153 for HER2 ultralow) in Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America. For more information about the trial, visit ClinicalTrials.gov.

About Breast Cancer and HER2 Expression
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide.¹ More than two million breast cancer cases were diagnosed in 2022 with more than 665,000 deaths globally.¹ In Europe, approximately 557,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed annually.² While survival rates are high for those diagnosed with early breast cancer, only about 30% of patients diagnosed with or who progress to metastatic disease are expected to live five years following diagnosis.³

HR positive, HER2 negative is the most common breast cancer subtype, accounting for approximately 70% of all breast cancers.³ HER2 is a tyrosine kinase receptor growth-promoting protein expressed on the surface of many types of tumors, including breast cancer.⁴ Patients with high levels of HER2 expression (IHC 3+ or IHC 2+/ISH+) are classified as HER2 positive and treated with HER2 targeted therapies, representing approximately 15% to 20% of all breast cancers.⁵ Historically, tumors that were not classified as HER2 positive were classified as HER2 negative, despite the fact that many of these tumors still carry some level of HER2 expression.⁶

Endocrine therapy is widely given consecutively in the early lines of treatment for HR positive metastatic breast cancer. However, after initial therapy, further efficacy with additional endocrine treatment is often limited.⁷ The current standard of care following endocrine therapy is chemotherapy, which is associated with poor response rates and outcomes.^7,8,9,10

Prior to the approval of ENHERTU in HER2 low metastatic breast cancer based on the DESTINY-Breast04 trial, there were no targeted therapies approved specifically for patients with HER2 low expression.¹¹ There are no targeted therapies specifically approved in the EU for patients with HER2 ultralow expression.¹²

About ENHERTU
ENHERTU (trastuzumab deruxtecan; fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki in the U.S. only) is a HER2 directed ADC. Designed using Daiichi Sankyo’s proprietary DXd ADC Technology, ENHERTU is the lead ADC in the oncology portfolio of Daiichi Sankyo and the most advanced program in AstraZeneca’s ADC scientific platform. ENHERTU consists of a HER2 monoclonal antibody attached to a number of topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads (an exatecan derivative, DXd) via tetrapeptide-based cleavable linkers.

ENHERTU (5.4 mg/kg) is approved in more than 75 countries worldwide for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2 positive (immunohistochemistry [IHC] 3+ or in-situ hybridization (ISH)+) breast cancer who have received a prior anti-HER2-based regimen, either in the metastatic setting or in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting, and have developed disease recurrence during or within six months of completing therapy based on the results from the DESTINY-Breast03 trial.

ENHERTU (5.4 mg/kg) is approved in more than 75 countries worldwide for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2 low (IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH-) breast cancer who have received a prior systemic therapy in the metastatic setting or developed disease recurrence during or within six months of completing adjuvant chemotherapy based on the results from the DESTINY-Breast04 trial.

ENHERTU (5.4 mg/kg) is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic hormone receptor (HR) positive, HER2 low (IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH-) or HER2 ultralow (IHC 0 with membrane staining) breast cancer, as determined by an FDA-approved test, that have progressed on one or more endocrine therapies in the metastatic setting based on the results from the DESTINY-Breast06 trial.

ENHERTU (5.4 mg/kg) is approved in more than 50 countries worldwide for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic NSCLC whose tumors have activating HER2 (ERBB2) mutations, as detected by a locally or regionally approved test, and who have received a prior systemic therapy based on the results from the DESTINY-Lung02 and/or DESTINY-Lung05 trials. Continued approval in China and the U.S. for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial.

ENHERTU (6.4 mg/kg) is approved in more than 65 countries worldwide for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic HER2 positive (IHC 3+ or IHC 2+/ISH+) gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma who have received a prior trastuzumab-based regimen based on the results from the DESTINY-Gastric01, DESTINY-Gastric02 and/or DESTINY-Gastric06 trials. Continued approval in China for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial.

ENHERTU (5.4 mg/kg) is approved in Brazil, Israel, Russia and the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2 positive (IHC 3+) solid tumors who have received prior systemic treatment and have no satisfactory alternative treatment options based on efficacy results from the DESTINY-PanTumor02, DESTINY-Lung01 and DESTINY-CRC02 trials. Continued approval for this indication in the U.S. may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial.

About the ENHERTU Clinical Development Program
A comprehensive global clinical development program is underway evaluating the efficacy and safety of ENHERTU monotherapy across multiple HER2 targetable cancers. Trials in combination with other anticancer treatments, such as immunotherapy, also are underway.

About the Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca Collaboration
Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca entered into a global collaboration to jointly develop and commercialize ENHERTU in March 2019 and DATROWAY^® in July 2020, except in Japan where Daiichi Sankyo maintains exclusive rights for each ADC. Daiichi Sankyo is responsible for the manufacturing and supply of ENHERTU and DATROWAY.

About the ADC Portfolio of Daiichi Sankyo
The Daiichi Sankyo ADC portfolio consists of seven ADCs in clinical development crafted from two distinct ADC technology platforms discovered in-house by Daiichi Sankyo.

The ADC platform furthest in clinical development is Daiichi Sankyo’s DXd ADC Technology where each ADC consists of a monoclonal antibody attached to a number of topoisomerase I inhibitor payloads (an exatecan derivative, DXd) via tetrapeptide-based cleavable linkers. The DXd ADC portfolio currently consists of ENHERTU, a HER2 directed ADC, and DATROWAY, a TROP2 directed ADC, which are being jointly developed and commercialized globally with AstraZeneca. Patritumab deruxtecan (HER3-DXd), a HER3 directed ADC, ifinatamab deruxtecan (I-DXd), a B7-H3 directed ADC, and raludotatug deruxtecan (R-DXd), a CDH6 directed ADC, are being jointly developed and commercialized globally with Merck & Co., Inc, Rahway, NJ, USA. DS-3939, a TA-MUC1 directed ADC, is being developed by Daiichi Sankyo.

The second Daiichi Sankyo ADC platform consists of a monoclonal antibody attached to a modified pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) payload. DS-9606, a CLDN6 directed PBD ADC, is the first of several planned ADCs in clinical development utilizing this platform.

Ifinatamab deruxtecan, patritumab deruxtecan, raludotatug deruxtecan, DS-3939 and DS-9606 are investigational medicines that have not been approved for any indication in any country. Safety and efficacy have not been established.

About Daiichi Sankyo
Daiichi Sankyo is an innovative global healthcare company contributing to the sustainable development of society that discovers, develops and delivers new standards of care to enrich the quality of life around the world. With more than 120 years of experience, Daiichi Sankyo leverages its world-class science and technology to create new modalities and innovative medicines for people with cancer, cardiovascular and other diseases with high unmet medical need. For more information, please visit www.daiichisankyo.com.

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References
¹ Bray F, et al. CA Cancer J. Clin. 2024; 10.3322/caac.21834.
² Globocan 2022. Breast Cancer. Accessed February 2025.
³ National Cancer Institute. SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Female Breast Cancer Subtypes. Accessed February 2025.
⁴ Iqbal N, et al. Mol Biol Int. 2014;852748.
⁵ Ahn S, et al. J Pathol Transl Med. 2020;54(1):34-44.
⁶ Sajjadi E, et al. Cancer Drug Resist. 2022;5(4):882-888.
⁷ Manohar P, et al. Cancer Biol Med. 2022 Feb 15; 19(2):202–212.
⁸ Cortes J, et al. Lancet. 2011;377:914-923.
⁹ Yuan P, et al. Eur J Cancer. 2019;112:57-65.
¹⁰ Jerusalem G, et al. JAMA Oncol. 2018;4(10):1367–1374.
¹¹ Modi S, et al. N Engl J Med. 2022;387:9-20.
¹² Eiger D, et al. Cancers. 2021 Mar; 13(5): 1015.

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Media Contacts:

Global/US:

Jennifer Brennan

Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.

jennifer.brennan@daiichisankyo.com

+1 908 900 3183 (mobile)

EU:

Simone Jendsch-Dowé

Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH

simone.jendsch-dowe@daiichisankyo.com

+49 (89) 78080 (office)

Japan:

Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.

DS-PR_jp@daiichisankyo.com

Investor Relations Contact:

DaiichiSankyoIR_jp@daiichisankyo.com.

Source: Daiichi Sankyo

FAQ

What are the key efficacy results of ENHERTU in the DESTINY-Breast06 trial for HER2 low breast cancer?

ENHERTU showed 13.2 months median progression-free survival vs 8.1 months for chemotherapy, with a 38% reduction in disease progression risk and 56.5% objective response rate.

What is the safety profile of ENHERTU in the DESTINY-Breast06 trial?

Main grade 3+ adverse events were neutropenia (20.7%), leukopenia (6.9%), and anemia (5.8%). Interstitial lung disease occurred in 11.3% of patients, mostly low-grade.

How effective is ENHERTU for HER2 ultralow breast cancer patients?

In HER2 ultralow patients, ENHERTU achieved 13.2 months progression-free survival vs 8.3 months for chemotherapy, with 61.8% objective response rate vs 26.3%.

What is the significance of CHMP's recommendation for ENHERTU in the EU market?

It's the first HER2-directed treatment recommended for HR positive, HER2 low/ultralow metastatic breast cancer patients following endocrine therapy in the EU.