Tumor therapy with an antibody for vascular endothelial growth factor and an antibody for human epithelial growth factor receptor type 2

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of treating a breast cancer disease in a patient who has failed prior treatment with an anti-VEGF antibody, comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of an anti-HER2 antibody while continuing said anti-VEGF antibody therapy. The invention also provides corresponding pharmaceutical kits and pharmaceutical compositions.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 Antitumor activity of combined trastuzumab and bevacizumab treatment on tumor growth after bevacizumab treatment failure. Mean values of tumor volume (mm³) plotted on the y-axis; number of days after injection of tumor cells plotted on the x-axis. Vehicle (circles), trastuzumab at loading dose of 30 mg/kg and maintenance dose of 15 mg/kg (squares), bevacizumab at 5 mg/kg until day 55 when treatment, also includes trastuzumab at 15 mg/kg (triangles).

FIG. 2 Effect of combined trastuzumab and bevacizumab treatment on lung metastasis. Mean value of human Alu DNA sequence (ng/ml) quantitated from lung tissue using real-time PCR and plotted on the y-axis.

Claims

1. A combined therapy method of treating a breast cancer disease, comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of an anti-HER2 antibody and an anti-VEGF antibody wherein the breast cancer disease is characterized by an overexpression of the HER2 receptor protein.

2. A method of treating a breast cancer disease in a patient who has failed prior therapy with an anti-VEGF antibody, comprising administering to the patient a therapeutically effective amount of an anti-HER2 antibody and an anti-VEGF antibody.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the anti-VEGF antibody is bevacizumab.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the patient is human.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the anti-HER2 antibody is trastuzumab.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the breast cancer disease is characterized by an overexpression of the HER2 receptor protein.

7. A pharmaceutical kit comprising a pharmaceutical composition comprising an anti-VEGF antibody, a pharmaceutical composition comprising an anti-HE2 antibody, and a package insert instructing the user of said compositions to administer to a patient having breast cancer disease, who has failed prior therapy with an anti-VEGF antibody, said anti-VEGF antibody pharmaceutical composition and said anti-HER2 antibody pharmaceutical composition, wherein the anti-VEGF antibody pharmaceutical composition and the anti-HER2 antibody pharmaceutical composition are packaged either in a single container or in two separate containers.

8. The pharmaceutical kit of claim 7 wherein the anti-VEGF antibody is bevacizumab.

9. The pharmaceutical kit of claim 7 wherein the anti-HER2 antibody is trastuzumab.

10. A pharmaceutical composition comprising an anti-HER2 antibody and an anti-VEGF antibody useful in the treatment of a breast cancer disease in a patient which has failed prior therapy with an anti-VEGF antibody.

11. The pharmaceutical composition of claim 10, wherein the anti-VEGF antibody is bevacizumab and the anti-HER2 antibody is trastuzumab.