Advanced breast cancer is generally considered an incurable cancer, but it can still be treated to relieve symptoms, control the progression of cancer, prolong the patient's survival time and improve the quality of life. Treatment options are usually determined based on the patient's specific situation, including the molecular subtype of breast cancer, the site of metastasis, the patient's overall health and personal preferences. How effective is Apellis as a targeted drug for the treatment of advanced breast cancer? What is the specific price?

Apellis-Fulvestrant treatment of breast cancer to prolong PFS?

What are the manifestations and treatments of advanced breast cancer?

Advanced breast cancer, also known as metastatic breast cancer or advanced metastasis of breast cancer, refers to the stage when breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body. At this stage, cancer cells may have spread to lymph nodes, bones, lungs, liver or other organs outside the breast. Common methods of treating advanced breast cancer include chemotherapy, endocrine therapy, targeted therapy and radiotherapy. 

Chemotherapy can kill or stop the growth and spread of cancer cells by using drugs. Endocrine therapy targets breast cancer that is positive for estrogen or progesterone receptors, using drugs to inhibit the effects of estrogen or progesterone. Targeted therapy uses drugs that target specific proteins or genes in tumors to inhibit the growth and spread of cancer cells. Radiotherapy can use high-energy X-rays or other forms of radiation to kill cancer cells.

Apellis is a targeted therapy in the above treatment options, so how does Apellis work?

What is Apellis?

Apellis is a phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor, which mainly has inhibitory activity against PI3Kα. Gain-of-function mutations in the gene encoding the PI3K catalytic α subunit (PIK3CA) lead to activation of PI3Kα and Akt signaling, cell transformation, and tumor generation in in vitro and in vivo models.

In breast cancer cell lines, Apellis inhibits phosphorylation of PI3K downstream targets including Akt and shows activity in cell lines carrying PIK3CA mutations. In vivo, Apellis inhibits the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and reduces tumor growth in xenograft models (including breast cancer models).