Abstract PO1-19-12: VERITAC-2: a phase 3 study of vepdegestrant, a PROteolysis TArgeting Chimera (PROTAC) estrogen receptor (ER) degrader, vs fulvestrant in ER–positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–negative advanced breast cancer
Authors: Campone Mario , Ma Cynthia , de Laurentiis Michelino , Iwata Hiroji , Hurvitz Sara , Wander Seth , Danso Michael , Lu Dongrui , Smith Julia Perkins , Liu Yuan , Tran Lana , Anderson Sibyl , Hamilton Erika 
Published: May 2024

Abstract
Background: Vepdegestrant (ARV-471) is an oral PROTAC ER degrader that binds to and degrades wild-type ER and clinically relevant mutants. Vepdegestrant directly recruits the ubiquitin-proteasome system to degrade ER, whereas selective ER degraders (SERDs) indirectly cause ER degradation. In a first-in-human phase 1/2 study (NCT04072952), vepdegestrant monotherapy was well tolerated and showed clinical activity in heavily pretreated patients with ER+/HER2- advanced breast cancer. The phase 3 monotherapy dose (200 mg once daily [QD]) was chosen due to comparable efficacy and favorable tolerability relative to 500 mg QD and robust ER degradation in paired tumor biopsies. The global, randomized phase 3 VERITAC-2 study (NCT05654623) will compare efficacy and safety of vepdegestrant vs the SERD fulvestrant in patients with ER+/HER2- advanced breast cancer after prior combination cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitor therapy and endocrine therapy (ET). Trial design: Eligible patients (aged ≥18 years) have a confirmed diagnosis of ER+/HER2- locoregional recurrent or metastatic breast cancer not amenable to surgical resection or radiation; 1 prior line of combination CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy and ET; ≤1 additional line of ET; most recent ET given for ≥6 months before disease progression; and radiological disease progression during or after the last line of therapy. Prior chemotherapy in the locally advanced or metastatic setting and prior fulvestrant are not permitted. Patients (N≈560) are randomized 1:1 to receive vepdegestrant 200 mg orally QD continuously or fulvestrant intramuscularly on days 1 and 15 in the first 28-day cycle and on day 1 in subsequent cycles; patients are stratified by ESR1 mutation status and presence of visceral disease. The primary endpoint, progression-free survival, will be assessed by blinded independent central review in the intention-to-treat population and the ESR1 mutation subpopulation. Secondary outcome measures include overall survival, antitumor activity (objective response rate, duration of response, and clinical benefit rate), safety, and quality of life assessments.
Citation Format: Mario Campone, Cynthia Ma, Michelino de Laurentiis, Hiroji Iwata, Sara Hurvitz, Seth Wander, Michael Danso, Dongrui Lu, Julia Perkins Smith, Yuan Liu, Lana Tran, Sibyl Anderson, Erika Hamilton. VERITAC-2: a phase 3 study of vepdegestrant, a PROteolysis TArgeting Chimera (PROTAC) estrogen receptor (ER) degrader, vs fulvestrant in ER–positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–negative advanced breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-19-12.