Biologic Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer: A Road with Hurdles

Table 4

EGFR-directed targeted agents under investigation in SCCHN (other than cetuximab).

Trial phase	Compound	Disease setting	Associated treatment	Comparator
Phase III	Monoclonal Antibodies
	Nimotuzumab	LA resected	RT + P	Placebo
		LA	RT	None
	Zalutumumab	nonmetastatic	RT (±P)	None
	Tyrosine kinase inhibitors
	Lapatinib*	resected high risk		Placebo
	Afatinib*	LA and NED after RT + P (+S)		Placebo
		LA after resection and RT + P		Placebo
		R/M platinum-refractory		Methotrexate
Randomized phase II	Tyrosine kinase inhibitors
	Erlotinib	LA	RT + P	None
	Erlotinib	R/M	TP	Placebo
Phase II	Monoclonal antibodies
	Panitumumab	R/M	Paclitaxel
	Nimotuzumab	LA	RT+ P
		LA	(T) PF ICT
	SYM-004***	R/M platinum-refractory
	Tyrosine kinase inhibitors
	Lapatinib*	LA	RT
	Lapatinib*	R/M	Capecitabine
	Erlotinib	LA	RT (+T)
		LA resected	RT+ P
		Local recurrence/2nd primary	RT + pemetrexed
		Local recurrence
Phase I	Monoclonal antibodies
	ABT-806**	Solid tumors
	R05083945 or cetuximab	Operable

NED: no evidence of disease; S: lymph node resection.
CRT: concurrent chemoradiation; ICT: induction chemotherapy.
T: docetaxel; P: cisplatin.
*Dual EGFR/HER2 inhibitor. **Targets also EGFRvIII. ***Recombinant IgG1 antibody product consisting of two antibodies against EGFR.