Drug Overview
Kadcyla (ado-trastuzumab emtansine; ImmunoGen/Roche/Chugai) is a human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), which contains the humanized anti-HER2 immunoglobulin G1 Herceptin (trastuzumab; Genentech/Roche/Chugai) covalently linked to the microtubule inhibitory drug DM1 via a stable thioether linker. The Herceptin component of Kadcyla binds to HER2 expressed on tumor cell surfaces and promotes internalization of the ADC. Inside the tumor cell, the DM1 moiety is released and binds to tubulin, disrupting microtubule assembly/disassembly dynamics and inhibiting cell division.
Analyst Outlook
Kadcyla (ado-trastuzumab emtansine; ImmunoGen/Roche/Chugai) has experienced good uptake since its approval in 2013 due to its superior efficacy and tolerability in the later lines of treatment. Roche will attempt to continue increasing Kadcyla’s commercial potential by testing the drug in other treatment settings and in combination with other targeted therapies. Kadcyla is currently being studied both as a monotherapy and in combination with Perjeta (pertuzumab; Genentech/Roche/Chugai) in the Phase III KATHERINE and KAITLIN studies, respectively. These trials are looking to test Kadcyla’s efficacy in the adjuvant treatment setting, where a larger patient population would offer the opportunity for increased revenues.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
4 PRODUCT PROFILES
4 Kadcyla : Breast cancer: HER2-positive
LIST OF FIGURES
6 Figure 1: Kadcyla – SWOT analysis in HER2-positive breast cancer
7 Figure 2: Datamonitor Healthcare’s drug assessment summary of Kadcyla for HER2-positive
breast cancer
8 Figure 3: Datamonitor Healthcare drug assessment summary of Kadcyla for HER2-positive
breast cancer
LIST OF TABLES
4 Table 1: Kadcyla (ado-trastuzumab emtansine; ImmunoGen/Roche/Chugai) – drug profile
6 Table 2: Overview of pivotal trial data for Kadcyla in HER2-positive breast cancer