Breast Cancer Campaign, comments on research presented today about T-DM1, a new ‘smart’ drug for breast cancer

Dr Lisa Wilde, Director of Research at Breast Cancer Campaign, comments on research presented today about T-DM1, a new ‘smart’ drug, which is the first of its kind to harness a targeted drug – Herceptin - to deliver chemotherapy directly to breast cancer cells.

“This study is a positive development for women with advanced HER2-postive breast cancer, who currently have limited treatment options available to them.

"As well as keeping advanced HER2-postive breast cancer at bay for longer, T-DM1 offers other considerable benefits to this particular group. Patients appear to experience fewer debilitating side effects compared to when chemotherapy is given separately alongside targeted drugs.

"Breast Cancer Campaign looks forward to the outcome of clinical trials currently testing T-DM1 in the earlier stages of HER2-positive breast cancer, which could have important implications for the 7,000 women diagnosed with HER2-positive breast cancer each year in the UK.

"If patients have any questions about accessing T-DM1, they should speak to their healthcare professional teams about further clinical trials which will be recruiting patients in the UK to allow access to the drug before it is officially licensed.”

-ENDS-

Elana McIntyre, Media Relations Manager, Breast Cancer Campaign
DD 0207 749 4102, email: emcintyre@breastcancercampaign.org twitter: @CampaignPR

Notes to editors

* Breast Cancer Campaign aims to beat breast cancer by funding innovative world-class research to understand how breast cancer develops, leading to improved diagnosis, treatment, prevention and cure
* The Breast Cancer Campaign Tissue Bank, the UK’s first ever national breast cancer tissue bank is a unique collaboration with four leading research institutions to create a vital resource of breast cancer tissue for researchers across the UK and Ireland. Visit breastcancertissuebank.org
* The charity currently funds 97 projects worth over £16.1 million in 31 locations across the UK and Ireland
* Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and accounts for nearly one in three of all cancers in womenIn the UK, around 48,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year - that’s 130 a day
* Visit breastcancercampaign.org or follow us at twitter.com/bccampaign