Matthew Kurian, Executive Committee Member at KYSCO, shared on LinkedIn:
“Another potential challenger in 1L HER2+ metastatic breast cancer first reported by my colleague Paolo Tarantino.
Hengrui announced positive Phase III results for trastuzumab rezetecan (SHR-A1811):
- SHR-A1811 alone
- SHR-A1811 + pertuzumab
- Standard THP
Both SHR-A1811 arms significantly improved PFS vs THP.
The inevitable question: how will this compare with T-DXd?
SHR-A1811 is another HER2-directed topo-I ADC, with a somewhat lower DAR (~6). If it can ultimately deliver T-DXd-like efficacy with meaningfully less ILD/pneumonitis, that could be a real differentiator-especially as we move these ADCs earlier and expose patients for longer periods.
And Hengrui is worth knowing. The emerging model in drug development is increasingly:
Discover/develop in China – rapidly generate clinical proof-of-concept – partner globally.
Hengrui has already built major Western partnerships:
- GSK: up to 12 programs, $500M upfront + ~$12B potential milestones
- BMS: 13-program strategic collaboration
- Merck: $200M upfront + up to $1.77B for global rights to its Lp(a) program
So while many U.S. oncologists may not know Hengrui today, we are likely going to hear this name much more.
For SHR-A1811, I want to see the actual PFS magnitude, ILD rates, CNS activity, whether pertuzumab adds anything – and eventually how it stacks up against T-DXd.”
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