Abemaciclib in combination with endocrine therapy for East Asian patients with HR+, HER2− advanced breast cancer: MONARCH 2 & 3 trials

Masakazu Toi, Kenichi Inoue, Norikazu Masuda, Hiroji Iwata, Joohyuk Sohn, In Hae Park, Seock Ah Im, Shin Cheh Chen, Sotaro Enatsu, P. Kellie Turner, Valérie A.M. André, Molly C. Hardebeck, Sachi Sakaguchi, Matthew P. Goetz, George W. Sledge

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This post hoc analysis of MONARCH 2 and MONARCH 3 assesses the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics (PK) of abemaciclib in combination with endocrine therapy (ET) in East Asian patients with hormone receptor positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2−) advanced breast cancer. MONARCH 2 and MONARCH 3 are global, randomized, double-blind, phase 3 studies of abemaciclib/placebo + fulvestrant and abemaciclib/placebo + nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor (NSAI, anastrozole or letrozole), respectively. The East Asian population comprised 212 (31.7%) of the 669 intent-to-treat (ITT) population in the MONARCH 2 trial and 144 (29.2%) of the 493 ITT patients in the MONARCH 3 trial. In the East Asian population, median progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly prolonged in the abemaciclib arm compared with placebo in both MONARCH 2 (hazard ratio [HR], 0.520; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.362 to 0.747; P <.001; median: 21.2 vs 11.6 months) and MONARCH 3 (HR, 0.326; 95% CI, 0.200 to 0.531, P <.001; median: not reached vs 12.82 months). Diarrhea (MONARCH 2: 90%; MONARCH 3: 88%) and neutropenia (MONARCH 2: 68%; MONARCH 3: 58%) were the most frequent adverse events observed in the East Asian populations. Abemaciclib exposures and PK were similar in East Asians and the non-East Asian populations of both trials. Abemaciclib in combination with ET in the East Asian populations of MONARCH 2 and MONARCH 3 provided consistent results with the ITT populations, demonstrating improvements in efficacy with generally tolerable safety profiles for patients with HR+, HER2− advanced breast cancer.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2381-2392
Number of pages12
JournalCancer Science
Volume112
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 2021

Keywords

  • East Asia
  • abemaciclib
  • breast cancer
  • cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor
  • metastatic

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Research

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