Quinten Identifies Synergistic Markers; Predicts Favorable Response to TNBC Treatment

Quinten recently announced the identification of two discriminating biological marker candidates that are indicative of a favorable response to treatment in women suffering from triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In the sub-group with both markers in combination, 86% of women responded to treatment with Panitumumab plus Fec 100, followed by Docetaxel, with complete disappearance of the tumor (equating to a full pathological response on Chevallier’s classification). Only 47% of women in the total population examined during Phase II testing showed a similar response to treatment.

Using its proprietary Q-Finder algorithm, Quinten analyzed 200 biological variables relating to samples taken from 47 TNBC patients, provided by the Centre Jean Perrin in Clermont-Ferrand, which is led by Professor J Dauplat. The biological markers that have been identified confirm and build on results already found by teams working at the center under Professor Nabholtz, who is responsible for the medical and clinical research departments and Professor Penault-Lorca, Head of Biopathology and Director of the 4677 ERTICa university research team (Equipe de recherche sur les traitements individualises du cancer [personalised cancer treatment research team]) at the University of Auvergne.

In cancers showing a mixed basal/luminal phenotype, among patients with an EFGR score of more than 80, combined with a cytokeratin 8/18 percentage in excess of 20, the response rate to treatment is almost double (1.83 times) the overall rate for women suffering from TNBC. These patients represent approximately 30% of women with TNBC.

TNBC accounts for around 15% of breast tumors. A breast tumor is said to be triple negative if less than 1% of its mass is made up of estrogen and progesterone receptor-carrying cells, and it exhibits no HER2 overexpression or amplification. These are found in around 13% of breast cancers. This type of cancer affects mainly younger women under the age of 50. In older women, it is often known as an “˜interval’ cancer, which is discovered between two routine screening mammograms, in which the most recent showed perfectly normal results. It is known to be an aggressive cancer, with 10-year survival rates of just 5% for basal phenotype TNBC (75% of all TNBC cases) and 62% for other TNBC cases. It is not unusual to see a rapid spread of pulmonary and cerebral metastases following conventional treatment, as the cancer cells spread through the bloodstream rather than the lymph ducts. There are few specific or targeted treatments available for TNBC at present.

“As far as we know, this is the first time that prognostic biological markers for a favorable response to this type of treatment have been discovered for TNBC. This discovery once again illustrates and confirms our ability to identify synergistic variable interactions that define specific high-benefit or high-risk sub-groups within a given population,” explains Alexandre Templier, CEO of Quinten. “This approach to personalized medicine has long been of interest to pharmaceutical laboratories. More recently, we have seen growing interest from academic teams. We help them to make the best possible use of their data.”

“We are delighted to have discovered this interaction between two markers that individually provide no information. It gives hope to women suffering from TNBC, as there are still very few treatments available. We will be able to select patients who have the greatest chance of responding to the treatment that we have implemented,” added Professor Jean-Marc Nabholtz of the Centre Jean Perrin. “A scientific paper is being drafted, and we are discussing the commencement of work to confirm this discovery.”

Quinten provides consulting services on strategy and operations to companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and cosmetics industries, with a particular focus on the exploitation of biomedical data. Due to its unique technology and proven know-how, Quinten extracts accurate and targeted information from these data in the form of directly implementable recommendations. For more information, visit www.quinten-france.com.