FDA drug approval summary: lapatinib in combination with capecitabine for previously treated metastatic breast cancer that overexpresses HER-2.
On March 13, 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved lapatinib (Tykerb tablets; GlaxoSmithKline, Philadelphia), an oral, small molecule, dual tyrosine kinase inhibitor of ErbB-2 and ErbB-1, for use in combination with capecitabine for the treatment of patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer who had received prior therapy including an anthracycline, a taxane, and trastuzumab. One multicenter, open-label, randomized trial was submitted. Eligible patients had stage IIIb or IV breast cancer, ErbB-2 overexpression (immunohistochemistry 3+ or 2+ with fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmation), measurable disease, a 0 or 1 Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status score, a cardiac ejection fraction within the institutional normal range, and adequate laboratory function. Patients received either lapatinib (1,250 mg once daily on days 1-21) plus capecitabine (1,000 mg/m(2) every 12 hours on days 1-14) every 21 days or capecitabine alone (1,250 mg/m(2) every 12 hours on days 1-14) every 21 days. The primary endpoint was time to progression (TTP) determined by a blinded independent review panel. After TTP results of a prespecified interim analysis were made available, study enrollment was discontinued (399 patients enrolled). The median TTP was 27.1 versus 18.6 weeks (hazard ratio, 0.57; p = .00013) favoring the lapatinib plus capecitabine arm. Response rates were 23.7% (lapatinib plus capecitabine) versus 13.9% (capecitabine alone). Survival data were not mature. Although the toxicities observed in the lapatinib and capecitabine combination arm were generally similar to those in the capecitabine alone arm, a higher incidence of diarrhea and rash was noted with the combination. Grade 3 or 4 adverse reactions that occurred with a frequency of >5% in patients on the combination arm were diarrhea (13%) and palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (12%). There was a 2% incidence of reversible decreased left ventricular function in the combination arm.
Ryan
Qin
Q
Division of Oncology Drug Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, USA. qin.ryan@fda.hhs.gov
Ibrahim
Amna
A
Cohen
Martin H
MH
Johnson
John
J
Ko
Chia-wen
CW
Sridhara
Rajeshwari
R
Justice
Robert
R
Pazdur
Richard
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D000069287:Capecitabine; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D018450:Disease Progression; D017277:Drug Approval; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D000077341:Lapatinib; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration; D055815:Young Adult
D000069287:Capecitabine; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D005472:Fluorouracil; D000077341:Lapatinib; D011799:Quinazolines; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases