Atezolizumab in addition to paclitaxel for inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic triple negative breast cancer – first-line

Atezolizumab as an intravenous infusion in combination with an intravenous infusion of paclitaxel (chemotherapy) is in clinical development for the first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBC is a type of breast cancer in which the cancer cells do not express receptors for oestrogen or progesterone or HER2 protein. Treatment of TNBC is challenging because of a lack of targeted therapy, aggressive disease course, and relatively poor prognosis. Treatment is usually through a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.
Atezolizumab is a cancer medicine that enhances T-cell (part of the immune system) activity against tumours. Paclitaxel is a chemotherapy that inhibits cell growth by preventing cell division. The combination may offer an additional first-line treatment option to improve clinical effectiveness in the treatment of people with inoperable, locally advanced or metastatic TNBC, an aggressive disease with no approved targeted therapy.