– Second Positive Phase 3 Trial in First-line Metastatic TNBC Where Trodelvy Has Demonstrated a Clinically Meaningful Benefit Versus Standard of Care Chemotherapy –
– Trodelvy Has the Potential to Be the Backbone of Treatment and the First Antibody-Drug Conjugate for All Patients Across First-line Metastatic TNBC –
FOSTER CITY, CA, USA I May 23, 2025 I
Gilead Sciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: GILD) today announced positive topline results from the Phase 3 ASCENT-03 study of Trodelvy
®
(sacituzumab govitecan-hziy). The study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a highly statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival (PFS) compared to chemotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) who are not candidates for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, meaning they are PD-L1 negative or are ineligible to receive immunotherapy.
“Almost half of the patients diagnosed with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer do not receive treatment beyond first-line, demonstrating an urgent need for innovative treatment options in this early setting,” said Dr. Javier Cortes, Head of the International Breast Cancer Center in Spain and principal investigator of the ASCENT-03 study. “Traditional chemotherapy has been the standard of care for early treatment of metastatic triple-negative breast cancer, and we know that therapeutic advances in this disease area serve a critical unmet need for patients and the broader oncology community.”
Together with the recently announced positive results from the
ASCENT-04 study
evaluating Trodelvy plus Keytruda
®
in patients with previously untreated PD-L1+ metastatic TNBC, Trodelvy now has the potential to be the backbone treatment for all patients across first-line mTNBC. Detailed data from the
ASCENT-04 study
will be shared during the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting taking place May 30 – June 3, 2025.
“The ASCENT-03 outcome represents the first clinically meaningful advance for this patient population in over 20 years versus chemotherapy,” said Dietmar Berger, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer, Gilead Sciences. “By addressing this aggressive and difficult to treat disease earlier, we can potentially improve treatment options for the high unmet need that patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer face.”
The safety profile of Trodelvy in the ASCENT-03 study was consistent with prior studies, and no new safety signals were identified in this patient population. Overall survival (OS) is a key secondary endpoint and was not mature at the time of PFS primary analysis. No OS detriment was observed. Gilead will continue to monitor OS outcomes, with ongoing patient follow-up and further analysis planned.
Detailed results from the ASCENT-03 study will be presented at a future medical meeting and discussed with regulatory authorities. The use of Trodelvy in first-line mTNBC is investigational, and the safety and efficacy of this use have not been established.
Healthcare professionals have well-established experience with Trodelvy, which has shown generally consistent outcomes across both clinical trials and real-world studies in 60,000+ patients across 50+ countries over approximately five years. It is the only antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) with four positive Phase 3 trials in HER2- (IHC 0, IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH–) metastatic breast cancer (mBC), and remains the only approved Trop-2-directed ADC that has demonstrated meaningful survival advantages in two different types of metastatic breast cancers: 2L mTNBC and pre-treated HR+/HER2- mBC.
Trodelvy is a Category 1 preferred treatment for both currently approved indications per the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
®
(NCCN
®
) Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines
i
) and the only ADC with an ESMO Magnitude of Clinical Benefit Scale (MCBS) rating of 5 for mTNBC. Trodelvy also has an MCBS rating of 4 for women with HR+/HER2- mBC.
Currently, Gilead has additional ongoing Phase 3 studies investigating Trodelvy across HER2- (IHC 0, IHC 1+ or IHC 2+/ISH–) breast cancer including the ASCENT-07 pivotal trial in patients with HR+/HER2- mBC who have received endocrine therapy, and the ASCENT-05 pivotal trial in patients with early-stage TNBC (eTNBC). Trodelvy is also being evaluated in additional Phase 3 studies across a range of tumor types, including in lung and gynecologic cancers.
Gilead would like to thank the patients, families, investigators and advocates who have contributed and continue to contribute to this important research. We remain committed to advancing care to address the unmet needs for the breast cancer community.
KEYTRUDA
®
is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.
About Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (In Patients Who Are Not Candidates for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors)
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive type of breast cancer and has historically been difficult to treat, accounting for approximately 15% of all breast cancers. TNBC disproportionately impacts younger, pre-menopausal as well as Black and Hispanic women. TNBC cells do not have estrogen and progesterone receptors and have limited HER2. Due to the nature of TNBC, treatment options are extremely limited compared with other breast cancer types. TNBC has a higher chance of recurrence and metastases than other breast cancer types. The average time to metastatic recurrence for TNBC is approximately 2.6 years compared with 5 years for other breast cancers, and the relative five-year survival rate is much lower. Among women with metastatic TNBC, the five-year survival rate is 12%, compared with 28% for those with other types of mBC.
Chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment in first-line mTNBC patients who are not candidates for PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, and the need to improve outcomes continues to be high. In mTNBC overall, ~50% of patients do not receive treatment beyond 1L setting, demonstrating a need for additional effective earlier-line treatment options.
About the ASCENT-03 Study
The ASCENT-03 study is a global, open-label, randomized Phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of sacituzumab govitecan compared with treatment of physician’s choice in patients with previously untreated, locally advanced, inoperable, or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) whose tumors do not express PD-L1, or who are PD-L1 positive and previously treated with a PD-(L)1 inhibitor in the curative setting. ~540 patients were enrolled across multiple study sites worldwide.
Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either sacituzumab govitecan (10 mg/kg intravenously on Days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle) or treatment of physician’s choice, which included gemcitabine plus carboplatin, paclitaxel, or nab-paclitaxel. Treatment continued until blinded independent central review (BICR)-verified disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Patients randomized to chemotherapy were eligible to crossover to sacituzumab govitecan upon disease progression.
The primary endpoint of the study is progression-free survival (PFS) as assessed by BICR according to RECIST v1.1. Secondary endpoints include overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), duration of response (DOR), time to onset of response (TTR), patient-reported outcomes (PROs), and safety.
More information about ASCENT-03 is available at
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05382299
.
About Trodelvy
Trodelvy
®
(sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) is a first-in-class Trop-2-directed antibody-drug conjugate. Trop-2 is a cell surface antigen highly expressed in multiple tumor types, including in more than 90% of breast and lung cancers. Trodelvy is intentionally designed with a proprietary hydrolyzable linker attached to SN-38, a topoisomerase I inhibitor payload. This unique combination delivers potent activity to both Trop-2 expressing cells and the tumor microenvironment through a bystander effect.
Trodelvy is currently approved in more than 50 countries for second-line or later metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients and in more than 40 countries for certain patients with pre-treated HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer.
Trodelvy is currently being evaluated in multiple ongoing Phase 3 trials across a range of tumor types with high Trop-2 expression. These studies with Trodelvy, both in monotherapy and in combination with pembrolizumab, involve earlier lines of treatment for TNBC and HR+/HER2- breast cancer—including in curative settings—as well as in lung and gynecologic cancers, where previous proof-of-concept studies have demonstrated clinical activity.
INDICATIONS
TRODELVY
®
(sacituzumab govitecan-hziy) is a Trop-2-directed antibody and topoisomerase inhibitor conjugate indicated for the treatment of adult patients with:
Please see full
Prescribing Information
, including BOXED WARNING.
About Gilead Sciences
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that has pursued and achieved breakthroughs in medicine for more than three decades, with the goal of creating a healthier world for all people. The company is committed to advancing innovative medicines to prevent and treat life-threatening diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, cancer, and inflammation. Gilead operates in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, Calif.
SOURCE:
Gilead Sciences