Eisai, based in Japan, reported new data confirming its marine-derived drug Halaven improves overall survival in women with late-stage breast cancer. 

Data from the 762-patient phase III Embrace trial has been published in The Lancet and demonstrates that Halaven (eribulin) improved overall survival compared with treatment of physician’s choice (TPC) in women with metastatic breast cancer previously treated with at least an anthracycline and a taxane. TPC is defined as any single-agent chemotherapy, hormonal treatment or biologic approved for cancer, palliative treatment or radiotherapy.

Embrace met its endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant increase in OS for Halaven compared with TPC of 2.5 months (13.1 vs 10.6 months respectively). The drug was approved by the FDA last November. The most common adverse events in both arms were fatigue (53.7% with Halaven, 39.7% with TPC) and neutropaenia (51.7% vs 29.6%).