Patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer are often left with few options after standard treatments stop working. A large global trial tested whether adding capivasertib to paclitaxel could change that outcome. Eight hundred twelve patients received either the new drug combination or paclitaxel with a placebo. The main goal was to see if people lived longer overall.
The results showed no difference in how long patients lived. The average time was 17.7 months for those taking the new drug and 18.0 months for those on placebo. This difference was too small to be considered real. The study also looked at a specific group with gene changes in their tumors. Their average survival time was 20.4 months in both groups, showing no benefit from the new drug.
The drug did slow down tumor growth slightly in some cases. However, it caused more severe diarrhea and led to more patients stopping treatment. The trial did not meet its main goal of proving the drug extended life. This means doctors and patients must weigh these side effects against the lack of survival benefit.