RE:RE:Case Closed on <1 Year of TrastuzumabI was thinking the same thing, KayakerBC. If it proves out that a peptide-trastuzumab fusion protein lowers cardiotoxic events and yet maintains efficacy then it would be hard to argue against the fusion protein having a chance at replacing Herceptin (and its biosimilars) as the Standard of Care for HER2+. Long ways to go to prove that, however.
Meanwhile, readers should be careful when reading digitel's post. The toxicity issues with respect to trastuzumab (and most cancer chemo-therapies) are well known and yet these therapies are life-saving and have remained in use, in Herceptin's case, for almost 20 years.
Studies like the one digitel posted may affect HOW trastuzumab is used but NOT WHETHER it remains in use. Only an improved HER2+ drug of some sort could push trastuzumab off the market, something like a Transcend/trastuzumab fusion protein, maybe, we hope, we're working towards, etc.
jd