Johnson & Johnson reported that ERLEADA (apalutamide) combined with hormone therapy reduced the risk of metastasis or death by 20% in high-risk prostate cancer patients. The Phase 3 PROTEUS study evaluated the regimen before and after surgery for localized or locally advanced disease.
The trial met both primary endpoints. Patients using the ERLEADA regimen were nine times more likely to have little to no cancer remaining at the time of surgery compared to those receiving hormone therapy alone.
Nearly half of high-risk prostate cancer patients currently experience cancer recurrence following surgery. This treatment represents a potential shift in the standard of care by intervening earlier to improve long-term outcomes.
J&J presented these findings at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. The New England Journal of Medicine simultaneously published the results.