Cancer Treatment Today

Dasatinib, also known as BMS-354825, is a cancer drug produced by Bristol-Myers Squibb and sold under the trade name Sprycel. There are several trials, two completed and several ongoing of this drug in breast cancer (http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?term=dasatinib+breast).
There are studies that show that it is effective alone or with doxorubicin and cusplatin in cell cultures. A phase I and phase II trial reported as poster and abstract respectively suggest that it has modest efficacy in combination with capecitabine. On the other hand, a phase II study showed no effectivenesss in heavily pre-treated breast cancer(Herold et al). FInn et al found “limited” activity. Of the 43 response evaluable patients, ORR was 4.7%: two patients had confirmed partial responses lasting 14 and 58 weeks, respectively. Of 11 patients with stable disease, two continued for more than 16 weeks, thus protocol-defined DCR was 9.3%. Median PFS was 8.3 weeks (95% CI: 7.3-15.3).

G. Somlo, F. Atzori, L. Strauss, A. Rybicki, X. Wu, W. Gradishar, J. Specht;Dasatinib plus capecitabine (Cap) for progressive advanced breast cancer (ABC): Phase I study CA180004.J Clin Oncol 27:15s, 2009 (suppl; abstr 1012)

Tryfonopoulos, D., O’Donovan, N., Corkery, B., Clynes, M., Crown, J. Activity of dasatinib with chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer cells J Clin Oncol (Meeting Abstracts) 2009 27: e14605