Extending time to disease progression or survival in cancer patients

Abstract

The present application describes extending time to disease progression or survival in a cancer patient, where the patient's cancer displays HER activation, by treating the patient with a HER dimerization inhibitor, such as pertuzumab.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for extending time to disease progression (TTP) or survival in an ovarian cancer patient comprising administering a HER2 antibody to the patient in an amount which extends TTP or survival in the patient, wherein the HER2 antibody is a HER2 dimerization inhibitor. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the HER2 antibody binds to Domain II of HER2 extracellular domain. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the HER2 antibody comprises the variable light and variable heavy amino acid sequences in SEQ ID Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the HER2 antibody is pertuzumab. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the cancer is advanced, refractory or recurrent ovarian cancer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the HER2 antibody is an intact IgG1 antibody. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  comprising administering a second therapeutic agent to the patient. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the second therapeutic agent is a chemotherapeutic agent. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the chemotherapeutic agent is an antimetabolite chemotherapeutic agent. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the antimetabolite chemotherapeutic agent is gemcitabine. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the second therapeutic agent is trastuzumab, erlotinib, or bevacizumab. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein TTP is extended. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein survival is extended. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  wherein administration of the HER2 antibody extends TTP or survival at least about 20% more than TTP or survival achieved by administering an approved anti-tumor agent to the cancer patient. 
     
     
         15 . A method for extending time to disease progression (TTP) or survival in ovarian cancer patients comprising: (a) administering a HER2 antibody which comprises the variable light and variable heavy amino acid sequences in SEQ ID Nos. 3 and 4 as a fixed dose of 420 mg to the patients and (b) measuring TTP or survival in the patients to confirm it is extended. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  which extends TTP. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  which extends survival. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the HER2 antibody is an intact IgG1 antibody. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the HER2 antibody is pertuzumab. 
     
     
         20 . A method for extending time to disease progression (TTP) or survival in ovarian cancer patients comprising: (a) administering pertuzumab as a fixed dose of 420 mg to the patients, and (b) measuring TTP or survival in the patients to confirm it is extended.