title: HER dimerization inhibitors: developing pertuzumab as an anticancer agent in women's oncology.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pertuzumab is a novel monoclonal antibody that blocks the dimerization domain of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2/neu receptor, disabling its ability to form heterodimers with the other members of its family.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We review the background and scientific rationale, but more specifically cover current clinical trial outcomes of pertuzumab in solid tumors, with an emphasis on the work completed in women's cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical trial results published or presented at national meetings are included in this review.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pertuzumab shows promising activity with trastuzumab in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The results in ovarian cancer have been limited thus far but a post hoc analysis of the results of a completed randomized Phase II trial of gemcitabine with or without pertuzumab suggests that low HER3 levels may mark a group of women who may benefit from the addition of pertuzumab to chemotherapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The efficacy of pertuzumab independent of HER-2/neu overexpression remains under investigation. Still, the benefits seen in HER-2/neu positive breast cancer is encouraging. Work in ovarian cancer remains preliminary but the possibility of using pertuzumab in a targeted population with low HER3 levels warrants further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Program in Women's Oncology, 101 Dudley Street, RI 02905, Providence, USA +1 401 453 7520 ; +1 401 453 7529 ; ddizon@wihri.org.
authors.forename: Don S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Dizon
authors.forename: Sharmila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Makhija