HER2-Directed Therapy

Targeting HER2 inside and beyond breast cancer: trastuzumab-based regimens, HER2 antibody-drug conjugates and bispecific antibodies in HER2-positive or HER2-amplified gastric, biliary, salivary and other tumours — and how far the breast-cancer playbook transfers to other organs.

6 articles in this topic

• August 20, 2026Journal of Clinical OncologyEA1181 (CompassHER2 pCR, single-arm), NCT04266249

  De-escalated Taxane Plus Trastuzumab and Pertuzumab Achieves 43.8% Pathologic Complete Response in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer, Far Higher in ER-Negative Than ER-Positive Disease: EA1181 Secondary Analyses

  EA1181 (CompassHER2 pCR) is a single-arm trial of de-escalated neoadjuvant therapy in Stage II–IIIa HER2-positive breast cancer: 12 weeks of a single taxane (paclitaxel, docetaxel or nab-paclitaxel) plus trastuzumab and pertuzumab (THP). In this secondary analysis of 2,141 evaluable patients, the overall pathologic complete response (pCR) rate was 43.8% (95% CI, 41.6%–45.9%).

• October 7, 2026The OncologistRetrospective multicenter cohort (not a clinical trial; no registry ID)

  Concurrent Radiotherapy With Adjuvant T-DM1 Shows More Thrombocytopenia, Liver Enzyme Elevation and Early Lung Changes Than With Trastuzumab in a Retrospective, Non-Randomized Study of 133 Patients

  In a retrospective, multicenter study of 133 women with HER2-positive stage I-III breast cancer treated at four hospitals in Istanbul between 2010 and 2024, concurrent adjuvant radiotherapy with T-DM1 (n = 50) was associated with higher rates of any-grade thrombocytopenia (70% vs 36.1%; P < .001), ALT elevation (20% vs 4.8%; P = .008), AST elevation (24.5% vs 2.4%; P < .001) and early pulmonary toxicity (48.8% vs 24.1%; P = .017) than concurrent radiotherapy with trastuzumab (n = 83).

• September 24, 2026Nature MedicineASPEN-06 (NCT05002127)

  Evorpacept Combination Boosts Response Rate in HER2+ Gastric Cancer, but Misses Statistical Bar

  The phase 2 portion of ASPEN-06, a randomized, open-label trial, tested whether adding the CD47-blocking fusion protein evorpacept to trastuzumab, ramucirumab and paclitaxel (TRP) improves outcomes in previously treated, HER2-overexpressing advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma.

• September 22, 2026Nature MedicineHERBOT / KCSG-HB23-05 (NCT05749900)

  First-Line Trastuzumab Add-On Reaches 55% Response Rate in HER2-Positive Biliary Tract Cancer

  A single-arm, phase 1b/2 trial (HERBOT) tested adding the HER2-targeted antibody trastuzumab to first-line nivolumab plus gemcitabine-cisplatin chemoimmunotherapy in 40 patients with HER2-positive, previously untreated, unresectable or metastatic biliary tract cancer — the first prospective study to introduce HER2-directed therapy immediately rather than reserving it for a later treatment line.

• September 3, 2026JAMA OncologyNeo-Healer (BCTOP study group)

  New HER2-Targeted Antibody Combination Raises Complete Response to 62% in ERBB2-Positive Breast Cancer

  A phase 3 registrational randomized trial (Neo-Healer, BCTOP study group) across 61 Chinese hospitals compared neoadjuvant anbenitamab plus HB1801 — with or without carboplatin — against standard trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and docetaxel (THP) in 521 patients with stage II or III ERBB2-positive breast cancer.

• August 27, 2026Clinical Cancer ResearchNCT02675829

  T-DM1 Shows Strongest Activity in Salivary Gland Cancer in HER2-Amplified Basket Trial

  A single-center, non-randomized phase 2 basket trial tested ado-trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) across five disease-specific cohorts of HER2-amplified solid tumors, asking whether a shared molecular driver predicts benefit from a HER2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate regardless of tumor origin.