Micrograph of breast cancer cells stained brown for HER2 receptors. Credit: The Institute of Cancer Research.

A new study by The Institute of Cancer Research, London, has revealed that use of triple therapy, rather than single therapy, can enhance treatment effectiveness and prevent advanced breast cancer relapse.

Conducted in collaboration with US-based Puma Biotechnology in breast cancer cells and mice, the study involved combining targeted neratinib and everolimus therapies with conventional hormone therapy.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

Everolimus is designed to target a molecular pathway associated with regulation of cell growth and multiplication, while neratinib acts on HER2 and HER3 receptors.

It was observed that the combination blocks the cancer’s escape routes that usually enable the tumour cells to evolve and stop responding to treatment by developing resistance.

Additionally, the combination was found to be effective against cells that were already resistant to hormone therapy. The triple therapy also led to fewer side-effects in mice.

Institute of Cancer Research staff scientist and the study leader Lesley-Ann Martin said: “Our study found that a triple combination of two targeted drugs and hormone therapy is better at halting the growth of breast cancer cells and tumours than any of the treatments individually.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.
“Overcoming cancer’s ability to evolve and adapt to treatment is the single biggest challenge we face if we are to defeat the disease.”

“Crucially, it seems to stop breast cancers from switching to different growth strategies to evade the effects of treatment, by cutting off all their available escape routes.”

The triple therapy shrunk tumours in mice by 80%, compared with approximately 30% for monotherapy or 70% in case of combination treatment with two drugs.

When only everolimus and hormone therapy were used, cancers were found to switch to the breast cancer receptors HER2 or HER3, to grow.

Upon using a combination of these two therapies and neratinib, the researchers could stop the cancer cells from gaining resistance. The three-way combination is also said to have minimised the number of receptors used by cancer cells to grow.

ICR chief executive Paul Workman said: “Overcoming cancer’s ability to evolve and adapt to treatment is the single biggest challenge we face if we are to defeat the disease.”