The prospect of patritumab for treating non-small cell lung cancer

Introduction: The mutation or expression of HER family members serves as a therapeutic target for tyrosine kinase inhibitors or monoclonal antibodies in diverse cancers, such as non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, gastric cancer, head and neck cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma. HER3, which heterodimerizes with HER1 and HER2, has received much attention as a potential target for anti-EGFR treatment. Patritumab is a novel, fully human monoclonal antibody directed against HER3. Areas covered: In this review article, an overview of the market, chemistry, pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety of patritumab is provided based on data from phase I studies, a combination phase I trial, and a randomized phase II trial comparing two doses of patritumab. Expert opinion: The combination of patritumab plus erlotinib has shown a promising efficacy and safety in early-phase clinical trials. In a randomized phase II trial, higher mRNA expression of heregulin (a ligand of HER3) was associated with better progression-free survival and a tendency toward improved overall survival. In the era of precise treatment based on an appropriate target with a predictive biomarker, further studies with patritumab are needed to realize its potential in cancer treatment.