A bispecific antibody paired with chemotherapy kept 58.5% of patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer free of disease progression at two years, compared with 34.4% on standard treatment, according to a post by the New England Journal of Medicine on X, citing phase 3 trial results presented at a major oncology conference.
Results from the HEALER trial, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology congress, show that anbenitamab — a HER2-targeted bispecific antibody (a drug engineered to latch onto two targets on cancer cells at once) — combined with albumin-bound docetaxel produced a 24-month progression-free survival rate of 58.5%, compared with 34.4% for standard therapy at the same point, according to data presented at ESMO 2026. The figures were cited in a post by the New England Journal of Medicine on X.
Progression-free survival measures how long patients live without their cancer growing or spreading. It’s one of the main benchmarks used in cancer trials to judge whether a new treatment is working.
HER2-positive breast cancer is a type driven by excess amounts of a protein called HER2 on the surface of cancer cells. It accounts for roughly one in five breast cancer cases and has historically been harder to treat than other forms of the disease, though targeted therapies have changed outcomes considerably over the past two decades.
Anbenitamab works differently from existing HER2 drugs. As a bispecific antibody, it binds to two separate sites on the HER2 protein simultaneously, which researchers believe may block cancer cell growth more effectively than single-target treatments. The trial compared this combination against the current standard of care in patients with advanced, or metastatic, disease — cancer that has spread beyond the breast.
The results were presented at ESMO 2026, one of the world’s largest gatherings of cancer specialists. According to a post by the New England Journal of Medicine on X, which shared the trial data, the findings represent a significant advance in outcomes for this patient group. Independent expert comment on the findings was not included in the material available at the time of this report.
Patients with questions about breast cancer treatment or eligibility for clinical trials should speak to their oncologist or GP in the first instance. NHS 111 can advise on accessing specialist care.
Source: @NEJM
New Drug Combination Nearly Doubles Two-Year Survival in Advanced Breast Cancer Trial Quiz
5 questions