Tucatinib plus trastuzumab for HER3-mutant, HER2-not amplified metastatic breast cancer
Official title: Tucatinib and Trastuzumab in HER3-mutant and HER2-not Amplified Metastatic Breast Cancer: a Proof of Concept Study (H3RAKLES)
Run by Institut Curie · NCT07193394 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will test whether combining tucatinib and trastuzumab helps people with metastatic or unresectable breast cancer whose tumors are HER2-negative but carry activating ERBB3 (HER3) mutations.
Quick facts
| Phase | Phase 2 |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 20 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Institut Curie Academic / other |
| Drugs / interventions | trastuzumab, tucatinib, chemotherapy, radiation, lapatinib |
| Locations | 9 sites (Bordeaux and 8 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 31, 2026 |
| Main results expected | December 7, 2028 |
| Study ends | June 8, 2029 |
| Registry record updated | February 23, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07193394 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults (≥18) with unresectable or metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer, documented class IV/V somatic ERBB3 mutation, ECOG ≤2, adequate organ function and LVEF ≥50%, and at least two prior chemotherapy lines for advanced disease.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients whose tumors lack activating ERBB3 mutations, who have HER2-amplified disease, or who have poor cardiac or organ function that prevents HER2-directed therapy are unlikely to benefit from this trial.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
H3RAKLES is a single-arm, phase II trial using a Bayesian design to give all enrolled patients the combination of tucatinib (a HER2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor) and trastuzumab (a HER2-directed antibody). Eligible participants are adults with HER2-not amplified metastatic or unresectable breast cancer harboring class IV/V somatic ERBB3 mutations who have received at least two prior lines of chemotherapy. Treatment is administered in three-week cycles and continued until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity, with tumor response monitored by RECIST v1.1. The trial builds on preclinical data and small clinical series suggesting HER2-targeted agents can be active in ERBB3-mutant tumors despite lack of HER2 amplification.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If effective, this combination could offer an additional treatment option that induces tumor responses and extends disease control for heavily pretreated patients with ERBB3-mutant, HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.
How similar studies have gone: There is limited but encouraging evidence from preclinical studies and small patient series that combining a HER2-directed antibody with a HER2 TKI can produce responses in ERBB3-mutant, HER2-non-amplified cancers, though larger confirmatory trials are lacking.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 18 years * Metastatic or unresectable breast cancer * HER2-negative (defined as having an IHC 0+, IHC 1+, or IHC 2+ and ISH non-amplified, per ASCO/CAP guidelines) on last assessable tumor sample * Having received ≥ 2 previous chemotherapy lines for advanced breast cancer: including at least one line of conjugated antibody, at the investigator's discretion or if a germinal BRCA mutation is present, a PARP inhibitor. * Class IV or V somatic ERBB3 mutation as determined on a tumor sample obtained during the molecular screening step * ECOG performance status ≤ 2 (Appendix A) * Evaluable disease, per RECIST v1.1 inclusion criteria * Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≥50% as assessed by echocardiogram (ECHO) or multiple-gated acquisition scan (MUGA) documented within 4 weeks prior to first dose of study treatment * Adequate organ function: 1. Creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min as calculated per institutional guidelines 2. Total bilirubin ≤1.5 X upper limit of normal (ULN), except for patients with known Gilbert's disease, who may enroll if the conjugated bilirubin is ≤1.5 X ULN. 3. Transaminases (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase) ≤ 2.5 X ULN (≤ 5 X ULN if the patient has liver metastases) * Women of childbearing potential (WCBP) must have a negative serum pregnancy test \< 7 days prior to first dose of treatment. A woman is considered of childbearing potential following menarche and until becoming post-menopausal unless permanently sterile. A postmenopausal state is defined as the absence of menses for 12 months without an alternative cause. * WCBP (as defined above) and men with partners of childbearing potential must agree to use a highly effective birth control method during the study and for 3 months after completion of investigational treatment. * Patients should be eligible for the treatment step according to the investigator's opinion. * Patients must be covered by a health insurance plan. * Patients able to provide signed informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Having received any prior treatment targeting HER2. Prior treatment with trastuzumab deruxtecan is allowed, per label, in patients with HER2-low metastatic breast cancer (IHC 1+ or 2+, ISH non-amplified) * History of allergic reactions to trastuzumab or tucatinib or chemically similar drugs * Patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning a pregnancy from time of informed consent until 7 months after the final dose of study drug * Inability to swallow pills or having a significant gastro-intestinal disease or a history of surgery which would preclude the adequate oral absorption of medications * Having used a strong CYP2C8 inhibitor within a duration of 5 half-lives prior to the first dose of study treatment, or have used a strong CYP3A4 or CYP2C8 inducer within 5 days prior to first dose of study treatment (see Appendix B and Appendix C) * Treatment with any systemic anti-cancer therapy (including hormonal therapy), non-central nervous system (CNS) radiation, or experimental agent ≤ 3 weeks prior to the first dose of study treatment, except gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists * Participation in another interventional clinical trial. * Symptomatic and untreated brain metastases or brain metastases requiring urgent treatment, or brain metastases requiring a dose \> 2 mg of dexamethasone (or equivalent) * Whole brain radiotherapy \< 21 days prior to first dose of treatment, stereotactic radiotherapy \< 7 days prior to first dose of treatment * Leptomeningeal metastases * Major surgery (including surgery of brain metastases) \< 21 days prior to first dose of treatment * Evidence within 2 years of the start of study treatment of another malignancy that required systemic treatment * Have known myocardial infarction or unstable angina within 24 weeks prior to first dose of study treatment * Have clinically significant cardiopulmonary disease such as: * Ventricular arrhythmia requiring therapy, * Uncontrolled hypertension (defined as persistent systolic blood pressure \>150 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure \> 100 mm Hg on antihypertensive medications) * Any history of symptomatic congestive heart failure * Severe dyspnea at rest (CTCAE v5.0 Grade 3 or above) due to complications of advanced malignancy * Hypoxia requiring supplementary oxygen therapy except when oxygen therapy is needed only for obstructive sleep apnea * Presence of ≥ Grade 2 QTc prolongation on screening ECG * Conditions potentially resulting in drug-induced prolongation of the QT interval or torsade de pointes: * Congenital or acquired long QT syndrome * Family history of sudden death * History of previous drug-induced QT prolongation * Current use of medications with known and accepted associated risk of QT prolongation (see row "Accepted Association" in Appendix D) * Are known carriers of active Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C or have other known chronic liver disease * Are known to be positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) * Altered mental status or psychiatric disorder that, in the opinion of the investigator, would preclude a valid patient informed consent. * Patients who have difficulty undergoing trial procedures for geographic, social or psychological reasons * Person deprived of liberty or under guardianship
Where it's running
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Institut Curie_ Site Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud, France Recruiting -
Polyclinique Bordeaux Nord Aquitaine
Bordeaux, France Not yet recruiting -
Chu Dupuytren- Limoges
Limoges, France Not yet recruiting -
Institut Paoli-Calmettes
Marseille, France Not yet recruiting -
Centre Antoine Lacassagne
Nice, France Not yet recruiting -
CHU de Nîmes
Nîmes, France Not yet recruiting
Show 3 more locations
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Centre Eugène Marquis
Rennes, France Not yet recruiting -
Institut Universitaire du Cancer de Toulouse (IUCT) - Oncopole Claudius Regaud
Toulouse, France Not yet recruiting -
Institut de Cancérologie de Lorraine
Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France Not yet recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: François-Clément Bidard, Prof. — Institut Curie
- Study coordinator: Sandra Clinical Project Manager
- Email: drci.promotion@curie.fr
- Phone: +33156245944
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.