Since the beginning of 2025, AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo’s new ADC, Datroway (datopotamab deruxtecan, or dato-dxd) has been at the forefront of oncology conversations. Notable Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals occurred in January and June, for HR+ HER2- breast cancer and epidermal growth factor receptor mutant non-small-cell lung cancer (EGFR-mutant NSCLC), respectively. Moreover, data releases from the different Tropion- Breast and Tropion-Lung trials caused a positive stir among oncologists. In that timeframe, CREATION.co has tracked nearly 800 posts from close to 300 HCPs on social media about Datroway, and our analysis unearthed interesting behaviours that can be key informers of launch strategies.
What are HCPs saying about Datroway following recent approvals and data releases?
Breast Cancer Approval
Earlier this year, CREATION.co reported on data from January 2025 about positive HCP reactions to Datroway as a novel ADC in the breast cancer space. Many celebrated the approval, using positive language such as “big news”. The announcement led to nearly 100 HCP posts across the following three days. The majority of these posts were from HCPs sharing the news to their networks. This is typical of HCP behaviour to novel data releases, as it begins valuable discussions between clinicians in the online space.
Big news for breast cancer! Looking forward to seeing how providers react to this approval and incorporate into their practice. @jamecancerdoc @OncBrothers @HalleMooreMD @SowmyaTakk https://t.co/aI7FboRrpK
— Madeline Waldron, PharmD, BCOP (@MWaldronPharmD) January 17, 2025
However, the hesitancy of some HCPs at the time with regards to a lack of overall survival (OS) benefit was realised with the release of negative OS data from the Tropion-Breast01 trial in February. Notably, non-HCP other voices (such as patients and cancer researchers) also raised concerns, some suggesting there was a negligible OS benefit, others commenting that there was a lack of treatment options for other breast cancer patient groups (here triple negative BC patients).
The negative OS data release prompted more discussion about the role of OS data in clinical trials. An HCP from Türkiye, Yakup Ergün, questioned whether OS was becoming less relevant if PFS is enough for approval. Replying to this post, another US physician stated they “don’t see a big use for it at this time”. Further to this, an oncologist in Spain commented that when controlling for subsequent ADC treatment, the OS results are still “quite poor”. Identifying self-generated HCP opinions such as these can provide real-time insight into what aspects of a drug launch need addressing, as well as providing the areas in which prescribers of a certain treatment need the most education.
Dato-DXd, approved by the FDA 1 month ago, showed no difference in OS compared to TPC.
In the Tropion-Breast 01 study, OS was a co-primary endpoint along with PFS.
Since OS failed, can we still consider this a positive study?
If PFS alone is enough for approval, does this mean… https://t.co/nmwW784slg
— Yakup Ergün (@dr_yakupergun) February 12, 2025
Lung cancer approval
Congresses typically generate large amounts of HCP discussion about treatments and therapy areas, especially if the meeting hosts notable data releases in those areas. The largest spike in Datroway online conversation among HCPs across the January to June period came during ASCO 2025, when the Tropion-Lung02 trial (with references to Tropion-Lung01) was read out. HCPs posted nearly 90 times on 1st June about these results, a figure >2000% larger than the average for the study period. The trials were celebrated for the efficacy of the drug, with other HCPs calling out the advancements in biomarker-led treatment. Despite the overall positive sentiment, a handful of HCPs urged the community not to get too excited, citing “AE concerns” and that there is “more work to be done”.
#ASCO25 Tropion-Lung01 shows good results and suggests that guiding treatment by biomarkers can be a game changer #trop2 #lcsm @OncoAlert @ASCO pic.twitter.com/ruI15LuykE
— Jose Fernando Moura, PhD (@FernandoOnco) June 1, 2025
Later on in June, data from Tropion-Lung01 and Tropion-Lung05 drove the FDA accelerated approval for Datroway for EGFR-mutant NSCLC. HCPs were quick to discuss this update on X, posting over 100 times in a three day period. Overall, HCPs welcomed this approval, celebrating another treatment option for patients with this common type of lung cancer.
However, over 50 HCP posts also called out the toxicites of Datroway, and immediately the HCP community banded together to educate each other on the best ways of counteracting them. Drs Rahul and Rohit Ghosain, community medical oncologists better known as the Oncology Brothers, shared informative infographics with their wide HCP network, which described all the common adverse effects of Datroway, how to identify them, and how to manage them. The post received nearly 20,000 X impressions across all accounts. This information was taken from a published review article, but due to the Oncology Brothers’ large HCP following, it will likely now reach the screens of many more patient-facing physicians.
Some guidance on side effect management for DatoDXd (based off review article from #DrHeist @dradityabardia et al. as this is also approved for HR+ breast cancer)!
Watch out for ILD, Mucositis, IRR, and Occular toxicities. https://t.co/UT2Vr0rM2u#OncTwitter https://t.co/TElJmU2uEf pic.twitter.com/wvOFrTHzKt
— Oncology Brothers (@OncBrothers) June 23, 2025
What does this mean for AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo?
As AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo look ahead to what will be a busy few years full of Datroway launches (and likely more approvals), it’s clear to see the value HCP social media listening can bring. By listening to the opinions of the key online HCP voices (known as digital opinion leaders, DOLs), Datroway teams will unlock a reliable and trustworthy source of information as well as opening an opportunity for HCP education through these trusted peers.
The information gained from the unprompted oncologist conversations online can provide valuable insights into brand positioning and strategy. By knowing what the HCPs on the front-line of care think and need, pharmaceutical companies can effectively collaborate with those using their drugs, helping to raise awareness of benefits and educate on usage.
All this facilitates the ultimate goal of providing better, safer treatments for the patients who need it the most.
At CREATION.co we serve pharmaceutical leaders by listening to the online voice of HCPs, identifying HCP Digital Opinion Leaders, and through insights-led strategic consulting. To discover how we can support you or your team through key stages of a drug launch, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
