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October 26
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A MyBCTeam Member

@A MyBCTeam Member It always seems so long for these drugs- but first they have to go through trials, in test tubes etc, then with mice, etc. and then with limited numbers of human participants- then if there appears to be benefits that still outweigh side effects, risks, etc. the trials are expanded. Of course, it takes time and funding- the processing and interpretation of all the data, etc. between each trial to see if it warrants moving to the next step, and getting all the government approvals along the way!

It is exciting to see things moving along! There was a doctor on the news bright and early this morning talking about a drug for for stomach cancer that should be approved soon- and they are working on other drugs with a similar mechanism for other cancers including bc. It is supposed to work as well- or possibly better than chemo- but since it specifically targets cancer cells (where our chemo treatments look for fast replicating cells, so we lose hair, taste buds, blood counts are off as chemo zaps the white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets) so this should be much more easily tolerated. This, at least for the stomach cancer, is expected to be approved in a few months! That would certainly be a reason to celebrate 2027!!
Hugs to all!

October 26
A MyBCTeam Member

It will hopefully be approved in next few months. My oncologist and I were talking about this drug last week. She was excited about it and says it works better than AIs at preventing recurrence. Studies have been going on for a while now. Doctor says it's safe to take for 5 years now, possibly longer depending on what they learn as studies continue. She plans to take me off Letrozole in 2 years when I finish up with CDK inhibitor and switch me to this new med for at least 5 years. I'm excited to have a 7 year plan now instead of what remains of my current 3 year plan.

October 26
MyBCTeam

That's a great question, and it's completely understandable to feel impatient when a promising treatment is on the horizon!

Giredestrant is an oral SERD (Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader) being studied for hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative breast cancer. It works by binding to and breaking down estrogen Show Full Answer

That's a great question, and it's completely understandable to feel impatient when a promising treatment is on the horizon!

Giredestrant is an oral SERD (Selective Estrogen Receptor Degrader) being studied for hormone receptor-positive (HR+), HER2-negative breast cancer. It works by binding to and breaking down estrogen receptors, which can help slow cancer growth.

The reason it takes time comes down to the clinical trial process, which has several phases:

- Phase 1 – Tests safety and dosing in a small group
- Phase 2 – Looks at effectiveness and side effects in a larger group
- Phase 3 – Compares the drug to existing treatments in a much larger population
- FDA Review – Regulators carefully examine all the data before approving

Giredestrant is currently being studied in Phase 3 trials. The FDA needs strong evidence that it's both safe and more effective than current options before giving the green light.

The good news is that other newer SERDs like vepdegestrant have recently been approved, showing real momentum in this treatment area. It's worth asking an oncologist about whether any clinical trials involving giredestrant might be an option in the meantime.

October 26

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Seattle, WA