Recruiting
Phase 2

HER2 Activation Response Predictive Signature

Sponsor:

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Code:

NCT07402473

Conditions

HER2-positive Early-stage Breast Cancer

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Trastuzumab

Pertuzumab

Docetaxel

Carboplatin

Study Details

Brief summary:

This is an open-label phase 2 study to evaluate the pCR rate in patients diagnosed with HER2 positive breast cancer treated on an adaptive clinical trial design.

Tumors will undergo testing using a novel molecular phosphoprotein-based biomarker assay, HER2 Activation Response Predictive Signature (HARPS) to identify HARPS-positive breast cancers.

To assess 3-year invasive disease-free survival (iDFS) in patients with HARPS-positive and HARPS-negative HER2-positive breast cancer.

To correlate changes in ctDNA with treatment outcomes in patients with HARPS-positive and HARPS-negative HER2-positive breast cancer.

To understand the changes in quality of life (QOL) measure in patients with HARPS-positive HER2-positive breast cancer treated using an adaptive neoadjuvant trial design.

Conditions

HER2-positive Early-stage Breast Cancer

Study ID

NCT07402473

Start date

Mar 26, 2026

Status verified date

Apr, 2026

Completion date

Jun 30, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec 31, 2027

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 70+

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Inclusion Criteria

1. Tumor size greater than 2cm or lymph node positive by imaging or clinical exam (cT2-T3 N0-2)
2. Tumors must be HER2 positive either by IHC (3+) or by IHC 2+ and FISH positive.
3. Patient must have known estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) status locally determined prior to study entry
4. Patient must have adequate tumor for HARPS testing.
5. Patients must have ctDNA collection prior to treatment on trial.
6. Patient must be able to do breast MRI as determined by the study
7. Baseline LVEF > 50% (Most recent within the last 5 years)
8. No prior history of systemic treatment with anthracyclines-based chemotherapy.
9. Adequate bone marrow function:

  • ANC ≥ 1500/uL
  • platelet count ≥ 100,000/uL
  • hemoglobin ≥ 9.0 g/dL
10. Adequate hepatic function:

  • Total bilirubin ≤ 1.5 X ULN
  • AST (SGOT) ≤ 5 X ULN
  • ALT (SGPT) ≤ 5 X ULN
11. Patients with biliary obstruction must have restored biliary flow by placement of an endoscopic common bile duct stent or a percutaneous drainage.
12. Adequate renal function, Creatinine < 1.5x institutional ULN or calculated creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min as estimated using the Cockcroft-Gault formula.
13. Ability to understand the nature of this study protocol and give written informed consent.
14. Willingness and ability to comply with scheduled visits and treatment plans
15. Prior cancers allowed if no evidence of disease in last 5 years. Prior history of ipsilateral invasive breast cancers are not allowed.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Previous treatment with chemotherapy, anti-HER2 therapy, radiation therapy, or endocrine therapy for invasive breast cancer. Exception: patients can start upto 1 cycle of HP prior to starting treatment on study.
2. cT4 and/or cN3 tumors
3. Evidence of metastatic disease by routine clinical assessment
4. Bilateral breast cancer
5. History of other malignancy within the last five years prior to first dose of study drug administration, except for curatively treated basal and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and/or in situ cervical carcinoma
6. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) below 50% as determined by multiple-gated acquisition (MUGA) scan or echocardiography (ECHO)
7. No active liver disease.
8. Any condition including the presence of laboratory abnormalities, which, in the opinion of the investigator places the subject at unacceptable risk if he/she were to participate in the study.
9. Pre-existing sensory neuropathy > grade 1.
10. Clinically significant cardiac disease (e.g. congestive heart failure, symptomatic coronary artery disease and cardiac arrhythmias not well controlled with medication) or myocardial infarction within the last 6 months.
11. Serious non-healing wound, ulcer, or bone fracture
12. Patient with uncontrolled and/ or active infection with HIV, Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C.
13. Patient who has a history of allergy or hypersensitivity to any of the study drugs.
14. Any significant medical condition, laboratory abnormality, or psychiatric illness that would prevent the subject from participating in the study

Study Design

Enrollment

50 participants

Anticipated

Intervention Model

Single group

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: HARPS POSITIVE COHORT

Arm A HARPS POSITIVE COHORT

PART A:

Patients with HARPS positive HER2 positive breast cancer will be treated with trastuzumab and pertuzumab for three cycles.

PART B:

Patients who have adequate treatment response after 3 cycles, continue trastuzumab and pertuzumab every 3 weeks for a minimum of 8 cycles in the neoadjuvant setting

ARM B:

HARPS-NEGATIVE COHORT

Patients with HARPS negative tumors must have baseline detectable ctDNA. If patients do not have detectable ctDNA, they will be taken off study. These patients will be replaced.

Interventions

Trastuzumab

Trastuzumab is a targeted antibody therapy used to treat HER2-positive breast and stomach cancers by blocking the growth-stimulating HER2 protein

Pertuzumab

targeted therapy, a monoclonal antibody, used with other drugs (like trastuzumab and chemotherapy) to treat HER2-positive breast cancer, blocking HER2 proteins on cancer cells to stop their growth, and used for metastatic, locally advanced, or early-stage high-risk cases before or after surgery

Docetaxel

will be used with HARPS Negative: intravenous chemotherapy medication used to treat breast, lung, prostate, gastric, and head/neck cancers

Carboplatin

will be used with HARPS Negative: a platinum-based chemotherapy drug used primarily to treat advanced ovarian cancer, often in combination with other agents, as well as lung, head and neck, and brain cancers

Primary outcome measure

  • Incidence and Severity of Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events (TEAEs) Assessed by CTCAE v5.0 [ Time Frame: up to 36 months ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Locations

RWJBarnabas Health - Trinitas Hospital and Comprehensive Cancer Center

Recruiting

Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States, 07202

Contacts

RWJBarnabas Health - Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Hamilton

Recruiting

Hamilton, New Jersey, United States, 08690

Contacts

RWJBarnabas Health - Monmouth Medical Center

Recruiting

Long Branch, New Jersey, United States, 07740

Contacts

Rutgers Cancer Institute

Recruiting

New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States, 08901

Contacts

RWJBarnabas Health - Newark Beth Israel Medical Center

Recruiting

Newark, New Jersey, United States, 07112

Contacts

RWJBarnabas Health - Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Somerset

Recruiting

Somerville, New Jersey, United States, 08876

Contacts

RWJBarnabas Health - Community Medical Center

Recruiting

Toms River, New Jersey, United States, 08755

Contacts

More Information

Sponsor

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Last update posted

Apr 23, 2026

Last verified

Apr, 2026

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey on 2026-04-23.