Palazestrant, a novel oral Complete Estrogen Receptor Antagonist (CERAN) and Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD), in patients with ER+/HER2− advanced or metastatic breast cancer: phase 1/2 study results

Abstract Background Endocrine resistance is a major challenge in treating patients with ER+ /HER2− metastatic breast cancer (MBC) necessitating a switch from endocrine therapy to more toxic therapies. Mutations in ESR1 constitute a key mechanism of resistance to endocrine therapy in ER+ /HER2− BC. T...

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Main Authors: Erika P. Hamilton, Manish R. Patel, Virginia F. Borges, Jane L. Meisel, Meena Okera, Carlos A. Alemany, Timothy J. Pluard, Robert Wesolowski, Dhanusha Sabanathan, Kathy D. Miller, Alison K. Conlin, Nicole McCarthy, Morena Shaw, Margaret Tonda, Mark Shilkrut, Nancy U. Lin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:Breast Cancer Research
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-025-02049-y
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author Erika P. Hamilton
Manish R. Patel
Virginia F. Borges
Jane L. Meisel
Meena Okera
Carlos A. Alemany
Timothy J. Pluard
Robert Wesolowski
Dhanusha Sabanathan
Kathy D. Miller
Alison K. Conlin
Nicole McCarthy
Morena Shaw
Margaret Tonda
Mark Shilkrut
Nancy U. Lin
author_facet Erika P. Hamilton
Manish R. Patel
Virginia F. Borges
Jane L. Meisel
Meena Okera
Carlos A. Alemany
Timothy J. Pluard
Robert Wesolowski
Dhanusha Sabanathan
Kathy D. Miller
Alison K. Conlin
Nicole McCarthy
Morena Shaw
Margaret Tonda
Mark Shilkrut
Nancy U. Lin
author_sort Erika P. Hamilton
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Endocrine resistance is a major challenge in treating patients with ER+ /HER2− metastatic breast cancer (MBC) necessitating a switch from endocrine therapy to more toxic therapies. Mutations in ESR1 constitute a key mechanism of resistance to endocrine therapy in ER+ /HER2− BC. Therapies that overcome endocrine resistance are needed. Palazestrant is a novel oral complete estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist (CERAN) and selective ER degrader (SERD) belonging to a new class of ER-targeting agents that completely blocks estrogen-induced transcriptional activity, regardless of ESR1 mutation status. This first-in-human, open-label, multicenter, phase 1/2 dose-escalation/expansion study was designed to determine the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) and to evaluate safety, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity of palazestrant in patients with ER+ /HER2− MBC with disease progression on prior treatment. Methods Adults with ER+ /HER2‒ MBC who received ≥ 1 prior line of endocrine therapy for advanced disease and ≤ 2 prior chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease were eligible. Patients received once-daily oral palazestrant (30–300 mg) in 28-day cycles until progression or intolerable toxicity. Results This study enrolled 146 patients. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed at doses up to 300 mg/day palazestrant. Confirmed partial responses were observed with 60 and 120 mg/day palazestrant. Both doses showed similar and tolerable safety profiles, favorable pharmacokinetics, and steady-state plasma concentrations above the predicted threshold for complete ER inhibition. Greater clinical benefit at palazestrant 120 mg/day (46%) versus 60 mg/day (19%) led to selection of 120 mg/day as RP2D and study expansion dose. At 120 mg/day, the median progression-free survival was 4.8 months (95% CI, 3.5–7.1) overall and 5.6 months (95% CI, 4.8–NE) among patients with cancers with ESR1 mutations. Most treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were grade 1–2. The most common TEAEs were nausea (62.8%), vomiting (29.1%), and fatigue (25.6%). The most common grade ≥ 3 TEAE was transient neutropenia (10.5%) managed by dose interruption and reduction. Conclusions Palazestrant demonstrated a manageable safety profile, with antitumor activity observed in patients with heavily pretreated cancers with wild-type and ESR1-mutated BC. These data support the ongoing phase 3 study evaluating palazestrant in patients with ER+ /HER2 − MBC. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04505826 . Registered August 6, 2020.
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spelling doaj-art-eae843ce2875403c92f4e3a8082f50b52025-08-20T03:45:43ZengBMCBreast Cancer Research1465-542X2025-07-0127111510.1186/s13058-025-02049-yPalazestrant, a novel oral Complete Estrogen Receptor Antagonist (CERAN) and Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD), in patients with ER+/HER2− advanced or metastatic breast cancer: phase 1/2 study resultsErika P. Hamilton0Manish R. Patel1Virginia F. Borges2Jane L. Meisel3Meena Okera4Carlos A. Alemany5Timothy J. Pluard6Robert Wesolowski7Dhanusha Sabanathan8Kathy D. Miller9Alison K. Conlin10Nicole McCarthy11Morena Shaw12Margaret Tonda13Mark Shilkrut14Nancy U. Lin15Sarah Cannon Research InstituteFlorida Cancer Specialists/Sarah Cannon Research InstituteAnschutz Medical Campus, University of Colorado Cancer CenterWinship Cancer Institute, Emory UniversityCancer Research SAAdventHealth Cancer InstituteSaint Luke’s Cancer Institute - Koontz Center for Advanced Breast CancerDivision of Medical Oncology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer CenterFaculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie UniversityIndiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer CenterProvidence Cancer InstituteICON Cancer CentreOlema OncologyOlema OncologyOlema OncologyDepartment of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer InstituteAbstract Background Endocrine resistance is a major challenge in treating patients with ER+ /HER2− metastatic breast cancer (MBC) necessitating a switch from endocrine therapy to more toxic therapies. Mutations in ESR1 constitute a key mechanism of resistance to endocrine therapy in ER+ /HER2− BC. Therapies that overcome endocrine resistance are needed. Palazestrant is a novel oral complete estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist (CERAN) and selective ER degrader (SERD) belonging to a new class of ER-targeting agents that completely blocks estrogen-induced transcriptional activity, regardless of ESR1 mutation status. This first-in-human, open-label, multicenter, phase 1/2 dose-escalation/expansion study was designed to determine the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D) and to evaluate safety, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity of palazestrant in patients with ER+ /HER2− MBC with disease progression on prior treatment. Methods Adults with ER+ /HER2‒ MBC who received ≥ 1 prior line of endocrine therapy for advanced disease and ≤ 2 prior chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease were eligible. Patients received once-daily oral palazestrant (30–300 mg) in 28-day cycles until progression or intolerable toxicity. Results This study enrolled 146 patients. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed at doses up to 300 mg/day palazestrant. Confirmed partial responses were observed with 60 and 120 mg/day palazestrant. Both doses showed similar and tolerable safety profiles, favorable pharmacokinetics, and steady-state plasma concentrations above the predicted threshold for complete ER inhibition. Greater clinical benefit at palazestrant 120 mg/day (46%) versus 60 mg/day (19%) led to selection of 120 mg/day as RP2D and study expansion dose. At 120 mg/day, the median progression-free survival was 4.8 months (95% CI, 3.5–7.1) overall and 5.6 months (95% CI, 4.8–NE) among patients with cancers with ESR1 mutations. Most treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were grade 1–2. The most common TEAEs were nausea (62.8%), vomiting (29.1%), and fatigue (25.6%). The most common grade ≥ 3 TEAE was transient neutropenia (10.5%) managed by dose interruption and reduction. Conclusions Palazestrant demonstrated a manageable safety profile, with antitumor activity observed in patients with heavily pretreated cancers with wild-type and ESR1-mutated BC. These data support the ongoing phase 3 study evaluating palazestrant in patients with ER+ /HER2 − MBC. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04505826 . Registered August 6, 2020.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-025-02049-yComplete estrogen receptor antagonistSelective estrogen receptor degraderEstrogen receptor-positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancerEndocrine therapyPalazestrantEstrogen receptor mutation
spellingShingle Erika P. Hamilton
Manish R. Patel
Virginia F. Borges
Jane L. Meisel
Meena Okera
Carlos A. Alemany
Timothy J. Pluard
Robert Wesolowski
Dhanusha Sabanathan
Kathy D. Miller
Alison K. Conlin
Nicole McCarthy
Morena Shaw
Margaret Tonda
Mark Shilkrut
Nancy U. Lin
Palazestrant, a novel oral Complete Estrogen Receptor Antagonist (CERAN) and Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD), in patients with ER+/HER2− advanced or metastatic breast cancer: phase 1/2 study results
Breast Cancer Research
Complete estrogen receptor antagonist
Selective estrogen receptor degrader
Estrogen receptor-positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer
Endocrine therapy
Palazestrant
Estrogen receptor mutation
title Palazestrant, a novel oral Complete Estrogen Receptor Antagonist (CERAN) and Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD), in patients with ER+/HER2− advanced or metastatic breast cancer: phase 1/2 study results
title_full Palazestrant, a novel oral Complete Estrogen Receptor Antagonist (CERAN) and Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD), in patients with ER+/HER2− advanced or metastatic breast cancer: phase 1/2 study results
title_fullStr Palazestrant, a novel oral Complete Estrogen Receptor Antagonist (CERAN) and Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD), in patients with ER+/HER2− advanced or metastatic breast cancer: phase 1/2 study results
title_full_unstemmed Palazestrant, a novel oral Complete Estrogen Receptor Antagonist (CERAN) and Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD), in patients with ER+/HER2− advanced or metastatic breast cancer: phase 1/2 study results
title_short Palazestrant, a novel oral Complete Estrogen Receptor Antagonist (CERAN) and Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader (SERD), in patients with ER+/HER2− advanced or metastatic breast cancer: phase 1/2 study results
title_sort palazestrant a novel oral complete estrogen receptor antagonist ceran and selective estrogen receptor degrader serd in patients with er her2 advanced or metastatic breast cancer phase 1 2 study results
topic Complete estrogen receptor antagonist
Selective estrogen receptor degrader
Estrogen receptor-positive human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer
Endocrine therapy
Palazestrant
Estrogen receptor mutation
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13058-025-02049-y
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