• Adjuvant treatment of HER-2 overexpressing breast cancer:
    • Combo with doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide and either paclitaxel or docetaxel:
      • IV 4mg/kg/dose *1 on week 1, then 2mg/kg/dose every week on week 2-12, then 6mg/kg/dose every 3 week on week 13-52
      • Used with docetaxel or paclitaxel during 1st 12 weeks
    • Combo with docetaxel and carboplatin:
      • IV 4mg/kg/dose *1 on week 1, then 2mg/kg/dose every week on week 2-18, then 6mg/kg/dose every 3 weeks on week 19-52
      • Use with carboplatin and docetaxel during 1st 18 weeks
    • Monotherapy following anthracycline-based regimen:
      • IV 8mg/kg/dose IV *1 on day 1 of 21-day cycle for cycle 1, then 6mg/kg/dose *1 on day 1 of 21-day cycle for cycles 2-17
  • Metastatic HER-2 overexpressing breast cancer:
    • Combo with paclitaxel:
      • Initially IV 4mg/kg/dose *1 on week 1 then 2mg/kg/dose weekly
    • Combo with pertuzumab:
      • Initially IV 8mg/kg/dose *1 on day 1 of 21-day cycle for cycle 1 then 6mg/kg/dose *1 on day 1 of 21-day cycle, starting cycle 2
    • Monotherapy:
      • Initially IV 4mg/kg/dose *1 on week 1 then 2mg/kg/dose every week, starting week 2
      • For recurrent disease
  • Metastatic HER-2 overexpressing gastric cancer:
    • Initially IV 8mg/kg/dose *1 on day 1 of 21-day cycle for cycle 1 then 6mg/kg/dose *1 on day 1 of 21-day cycle, starting cycle 2
    • Used in combination with cisplatin and capecitabine or 5-fluorouracil
  • Injection:
    • 150mg
    • 440mg
    • 600mg
  • Not for IV push or bolus administration
  • Administer initial IV infusion over 90 min
  • Subsequent weekly IV infusions may be administered over 30 min if prior infusions are well tolerated

Monoclonal antibody anticancer

It inhibits HER2 overexpressing tumor cell proliferation thereby mediating antibody-dependent cytotoxicity

  • Headache
  • Arthralgia
  • Diarrhea
  • Nausea
  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Pain
  • Edema
  • Rigors
  • Asthenia
  • Hypertension
  • Dizziness
  • Influenza
  • Myalgia
  • Rash
  • Vomiting
  • Arrhythmia
  • Dyspnea
  • URI
  • Muscle spasms
  • UTI
  • CHF
  • Epistaxis
  • Constipation
  • Dyspepsia
  • Paresthesia
  • Nail disorder
  • Pruritus
  • Fatigue
  • Anemia
  • Neutropenia
  • Hypersensitivity to class/components
  • Breastfeeding during treatment and for 7 months after discontinuation
  • Anthracycline use for up to 7 months after discontinuation

 WARNING

  • Subclinical and clinical cardiac failure can occur
    • Incidence and severity highest in combo with anthracyclines
    • Evaluate left ventricular function prior to and during treatment
  • Can result in serious pulmonary toxicity and sometimes fatal infusion reactions mostly during or within 24 hours of administration
  • Exposure during pregnancy or within 7 months prior to conception can result in embryo-fetal death and birth defects, including oligohydramnios and oligohydramnios sequence manifesting as pulmonary hypoplasia, skeletal abnormalities and neonatal death
  • Live bacterial vaccines
  • Tamoligene

                          Drug Status

Availability Prescription only
Pregnancy Category D
Breastfeeding Contraindicated
Schedule Not controlled
BRAND NAME STRENGTH FORMULATION PACK SIZE MANUFACTURER DISTRIBUTOR
Herceptin 150mg Injection 1’s F. Hoffman-La Roche Roche Kenya
Herceptin 440mg Injection 1’s F. Hoffman-La Roche Roche Kenya
Herceptin 600mg Injection 1’s F. Hoffman-La Roche Roche Kenya
Hertraz 150mg Injection 1’s Mylan Pharma Surgilinks Ltd
Hertraz 440mg Injection 1’s Mylan Pharma Surgilinks Ltd
Trasturel 150mg Injection 1’s Galaxy Pharma Galaxy Pharma
Trasturel 440mg Injection 1’s Galaxy Pharma Galaxy Pharma