Phase III data shows benefit of Decapeptyl in Breast Cancer-Ipsen

Ipsen has announced results of the randomized Phase III SOFT clinical trial which assessed the value of ovarian suppression in reducing Breast Cancer recurrence in young women receiving tamoxifen, and evaluated the role of the aromatase inhibitor exemestane plus ovarian suppression in this population. Ovarian suppression was obtained entirely by monthly injections of Decapeptyl (triptorelin) over 5 years for 81% of patients.

Treatment combining tamoxifen plus ovarian suppression reduced the relative risk of developing invasive Breast Cancer recurrence by 22% in women who did not transition into menopause after receiving chemotherapy, when compared to treatment with tamoxifen alone. On average, these women were 40 years old when starting hormonal therapy after chemotherapy. A secondary analysis revealed that further benefit could be gained by treating these women with exemestane plus ovarian suppression, which reduced their relative risk of Breast Cancer recurrence by 35%, compared to tamoxifen alone, resulting in 7 or 8 fewer women out of 100 having a Breast Cancer recurrence within 5 years. Data were presented at the 2014 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.