Herceptin
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Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab) can be used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer that is either early-stage or advanced-stage/metastatic.
Herceptin is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration:
- to treat metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer to stop the cancer from growing
- to treat earlier stages of HER2-positive breast cancer, either as part of a regimen with chemotherapy or alone after a chemotherapy regimen that includes an anthracycline, to reduce the risk of the breast cancer coming back (recurrence)
- in combination with Perjeta (chemical name: pertuzumab) and Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel) before surgery to treat HER2-positive, early-stage (the cancer must be larger than 2 cm or cancer must be in the lymph nodes), inflammatory, or locally advanced-stage breast cancer with a high risk of metastasizing or becoming fatal
- in combination with Perjeta and chemotherapy after surgery to treat HER2-positive, early-stage breast cancer with a high risk of recurrence
Learn more about:
- How Herceptin works
- Is Herceptin right for you?
- What to expect when taking Herceptin
- Paying for Herceptin
- Herceptin side effects
- Herceptin Hylecta (injectable Herceptin)
- Herceptin biosimilars
How Herceptin works
Cancer cells grow in an uncontrolled fashion. Herceptin works on the surface of the cancer cell by blocking the chemical signals that can stimulate this uncontrolled growth.
Genes are like instruction manuals that tell each cell of your body how to grow, what kind of cell to become, and how to behave. Genes do this by ordering the cell to make special proteins that cause a certain activity — such as cell growth, rest, or repair.
Some cancer cells have abnormalities in genes that tell the cell how much and how fast to grow. Sometimes the cancer cells have too many copies of these genes with abnormalities. When there are too many copies of these genes, doctors refer to it as “overexpression.” With some forms of gene overexpression, cancer cells will make too many of the proteins that control cell growth and division, causing the cancer to grow and spread.
Some breast cancer cells make too many copies of (overexpress) a particular gene known as HER2. The HER2 gene makes a protein known as a HER2 receptor. HER2 receptors are like ears, or antennae, on the surface of all cells. These HER2 receptors receive signals that stimulate the cell to grow and multiply. But breast cancer cells with too many HER2 receptors can pick up too many growth signals. This causes them to start growing and multiplying too much and too fast. Breast cancer cells that overexpress the HER2 gene are said to be HER2-positive.
Herceptin works by attaching itself to the HER2 receptors on the surface of breast cancer cells and blocking them from receiving growth signals. By blocking the signals, Herceptin can slow or stop the growth of the breast cancer. Herceptin is an example of an immune targeted therapy. In addition to blocking HER2 receptors, Herceptin can also help fight breast cancer by alerting the immune system to destroy cancer cells onto which it is attached.
This video animation illustrates how Herceptin attaches itself to the HER2 receptors on the surface of breast cancer cells and blocks them from receiving growth signals.
How Herceptin Works: the Mechanism of Action from Breastcancer.org on Vimeo.
This video was created by Genentech BioOncology.
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Is Herceptin right for you?
Herceptin is used to treat breast cancers that are HER2-positive.
There are several tests used to find out if breast cancer is HER2-positive. Two of the most common tests are:
IHC (ImmunoHistoChemistry)
The IHC test uses a chemical dye to stain the HER2 proteins. The IHC gives a score of 0 to 3+ that measures the amount of HER2 proteins on the surface of cells in a breast cancer tissue sample. If the score is 0 to 1+, it’s considered HER2-negative. If the score is 2+, it’s considered borderline. A score of 3+ is considered HER2-positive.
If the IHC test results are borderline, it’s likely that a FISH test will be done on a sample of the cancer tissue to determine if the cancer is HER2-positive.
FISH (Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization)
The FISH test uses special labels that attach to the HER2 proteins. The special labels have chemicals added to them so they change color and glow in the dark when they attach to the HER2 proteins. This test is the most accurate, but it is more expensive and takes longer to return results. This is why an IHC test is usually the first test done to see if a cancer is HER2-positive. With the FISH test, you get a score of either positive or negative (some hospitals call a negative test result “zero”).
Learn more about HER2 status.
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What to expect when taking Herceptin
Herceptin can only be given by intravenous (IV) infusion, which means it is delivered directly into your bloodstream through an IV or a port. The first dose of Herceptin takes about 90 minutes. After that, it only takes about 30 minutes to get other doses of Herceptin. Your Herceptin treatment schedule will depend on whether you are receiving it with other medicines. You can talk to your doctor about your treatment schedule options.
If you’ve been diagnosed with early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer, you’ll likely receive Herceptin together with a chemotherapy regimen. You will receive it for a specific amount of time.
If you’ve been diagnosed with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer, you will keep being treated with Herceptin as long as you are getting benefits from the medicine and aren’t having troubling side effects.
It’s important to know that women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant should not take Herceptin. Herceptin can harm the developing fetus. If there is any chance you can become pregnant, you must use effective birth control while you’re taking Herceptin and for at least 7 months after your last dose. Visit Treatment for Breast Cancer During Pregnancy for more information.
Also, women who are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed shouldn’t take Herceptin. Together, you and your doctor will decide if you should take Herceptin or breastfeed.
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Paying for Herceptin
If your doctor prescribes Herceptin and you face any difficulties getting it covered by insurance, or you don’t have insurance, you can get in touch with Access Solutions, sponsored by Genentech (the maker of Herceptin). Access Solutions can help investigate your insurance coverage benefits, appeal denied claims, and provide other assistance. You can also reach Access Solutions at 1-866-422-2377.
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Herceptin side effects
Like almost all medicines, Herceptin can cause side effects, some of them severe. The most common side effects of Herceptin are:
- headache
- diarrhea
- nausea
- chills
- fever
- heart problems
- infection
- insomnia
- cough
- rash
If you are receiving Herceptin with chemotherapy, you may also experience chemotherapy side effects.
Herceptin also may cause serious side effects, including:
Heart problems
Herceptin may cause serious heart problems, including some that don’t have symptoms, such as reduced heart function, and some that do have symptoms, such as congestive heart failure. Symptoms to watch for include swelling of the ankles or legs, shortness of breath, cough, or weight gain of more than 5 pounds in less than 24 hours. Contact your doctor immediately if you have any of these symptoms.
Your risk of heart problems is higher if you are receiving Herceptin in combination with anthracycline chemotherapy.
Before starting Herceptin therapy, you should have an echocardiogram or a MUGA (multigated blood-pool imaging) scan to check how well your heart is functioning.
An echocardiogram uses sound waves to take detailed pictures of the heart as it pumps blood. For this quick test, you lie still for a few minutes while a device that gives off sound waves is briefly placed on your ribs, over your heart. There is no radiation exposure with this test.
A MUGA scan takes about an hour. In this test, a tiny amount of radioactive material is injected into a vein in your arm. This material temporarily hooks onto your red blood cells. You lie still while a special camera that can detect the radioactive material takes pictures of the blood flow through your heart as it beats.
Your doctor will continue to monitor your heart function while you are receiving Herceptin, as well as after you complete treatment.
Herceptin may cause inflammation of the lungs, which can be life-threatening. Symptoms include trouble breathing, cough, tiredness, and fluid in the lungs.
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Herceptin Hylecta (injectable Herceptin)
Herceptin Hylecta (chemical name: trastuzumab and hyaluronidase-oysk) is an injectable form of Herceptin. It is a combination of Herceptin and hyaluronidase, an enzyme that helps your body use the Herceptin.
Traditional Herceptin is given by intravenous (IV) infusion, which means the medicine is delivered directly into your bloodsteam through an IV or port. The first dose of Herceptin takes about 90 minutes. After that, it only takes about 30 minutes to get other doses of Herceptin.
Herceptin Hylecta is given subcutaneously, which means it is injected under your skin using a hypodermic needle, much like a vaccine. The injection takes about 2 to 5 minutes and is given in your thigh, alternating between left and right for each dose.
It’s important to know that Herceptin Hylecta is given in different doses than IV Herceptin. Herceptin Hylecta is given at a fixed dose of 600 milligrams, while the dose of IV Herceptin is based on your weight.
You can receive a Herceptin Hylecta injection at an infusion center along with a chemotherapy regimen. If you are being treated with only Herceptin Hylecta, you may be able to receive the injection at your doctor’s office.
Herceptin Hylecta is approved to treat HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes (node-positive), or is not in the lymph nodes but is considered to be at high risk of recurrence:
- after surgery as part of a treatment regimen that includes Adriamycin (chemical name: doxorubicin), Cytoxan (chemical name: cyclophosphamide), and either Taxol (chemical name: paclitaxel) or Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel)
- after surgery as part of a treatment regimen with Taxotere and carboplatin
- after surgery as a single treatment for people who have been treated with a chemotherapy regimen that includes an anthracycline
Herceptin Hylecta also is approved to treat metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer:
- in combination with Taxol as the first treatment for metastatic disease
- as a single treatment for people who have been treated with one or more chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease
Like Herceptin, Herceptin Hylecta can cause side effects, some of them severe. Common Herceptin Hylecta side effects include:
- fatigue
- joint pain
- diarrhea
- injection site reaction
- upper respiratory tract infection
- rash
- muscle pain
- nausea
- headache
- swelling
- flushing
- fever
- cough
- pain in extremities
- chills
- infection
- insomnia
Like Herceptin, less common but more severe side effects of Herceptin Hylecta include weakening of the heart muscle and other heart problems, as well as serious lung problems.
Also like Herceptin, women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant should not be treated with Herceptin Hylecta. Herceptin Hylecta can harm the developing fetus. If there is any chance you can become pregnant, you must use effective birth control while you’re being treated with Herceptin Hylecta and for at least 7 months after your last dose. Visit Treatment for Breast Cancer During Pregnancy for more information.
Learn more about Herceptin Hylecta.
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Herceptin biosimilars
Herceptin is a monoclonal antibody, “biologic” drug. This means that it is made from living organisms, in this case a protein from a mouse cell. A monoclonal antibody is a type of protein made in the lab that can bind to substances in the body, including cancer cells. Each monoclonal antibody is made so that it binds only to one substance. Herceptin binds to the HER2 receptor proteins in cancer cells.
Because they are made from living organisms, biologic drugs are much more complex to make than conventional drugs that are made from a mixture of chemicals. The chemical structure of conventional drugs can be easily identified and duplicated, which is why there are so many generic drugs on the market.
A biosimilar is a new type of biologic drug. A biosimilar is almost identical to a biologic drug that is already approved by the FDA (or similar organizations in other countries). It can help to think of a biosimilar as a generic version of a biologic drug, though that comparison isn’t completely accurate.
The makers of biosimilars don’t have access to the original cell lines used to make the biologic drug. They also don’t have access to the exact purification process or other manufacturing steps used by the makers of the biologic drug.
Biologic drugs can be very sensitive to changes in the manufacturing process. If one small step is done differently, the biosimilar may have very different effects than the original biologic drug.
So, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that any biosimilar drug go through the same rigorous clinical trials that original biologic drugs do before the agency will approve the biosimilar.
There are five Herceptin biosimilars that have been approved by the FDA:
- Herzuma (chemical name: trastuzumab-pkrb)
- Kanjinti (chemical name: trastuzumab-anns)
- Ogivri (chemical name: trastuzumab-dkst)
- Ontruzant (chemical name: trastuzumab-dttb)
- Trazimera (chemical name: trastuzumab-qyyp)
Herzuma
Herzuma is approved to treat non-metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes (node-positive) or is not in the lymph nodes but is considered to be at high risk of recurrence:
- after surgery as part of a treatment regimen that includes Adriamycin (chemical name: doxorubicin), Cytoxan (chemical name: cyclophosphamide), and either Taxol (chemical name: paclitaxel) or Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel)
- after surgery as part of a treatment regimen with Taxotere and carboplatin
Herzuma is also approved to treat metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer:
- in combination with Taxol as the first treatment for metastatic disease
- as a single treatment for people who have been treated with one or more chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease
Common Herzuma side effects include:
- headache
- diarrhea
- nausea
- chills
- fever
- infection
- heart problems
- insomnia
- cough
- rash
Serious side effects include worsening of neutropenia (low white blood cell count) caused by chemotherapy.
Like Herceptin, less common but more severe side effects of Herzuma include weakening of the heart muscle and other heart problems.
Learn more about Herzuma.
Kanjinti
Kanjinti is approved to treat non-metastatic HER2-positive
breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes (node-positive) or is not in
the lymph nodes but is considered to be at high risk of recurrence:
- after surgery as part of a treatment regimen
that includes Adriamycin (chemical name: doxorubicin), Cytoxan (chemical name:
cyclophosphamide), and either Taxol (chemical name: paclitaxel) or Taxotere
(chemical name: docetaxel) - after surgery as part of a treatment regimen
with Taxotere and carboplatin - as a single treatment after people have been
treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy
Kanjinti is also approved to treat metastatic
HER2-positive breast cancer:
- in combination with Taxol as the first treatment
for metastatic disease - as a single treatment for people who have been
treated with one or more chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease
Kanjinti can also be used to treat metastatic,
HER2-positive stomach cancer.
Common Kanjinti side effects include:
- headache
- diarrhea
- nausea
- chills
- fever
- infection
- heart problems
- sleep problems
- cough
- rash
Serious side effects include worsening of neutropenia
(low white blood cell count) caused by chemotherapy.
Like Herceptin, less common but more severe side
effects of Kanjinti include weakening of the heart muscle and other heart
problems.
Learn more about Kanjinti.
Ogivri
Ogivri is approved to treat non-metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes (node-positive) or is not in the lymph nodes but is considered to be at high risk of recurrence:
- after surgery as part of a treatment regimen that includes Adriamycin (chemical name: doxorubicin), Cytoxan (chemical name: cyclophosphamide), and either Taxol (chemical name: paclitaxel) or Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel)
- after surgery as part of a treatment regimen with Taxotere and carboplatin
- as a single treatment after people have been treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy
Ogivri also is approved to treat metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer:
- in combination with Taxol as the first treatment for metastatic disease
- as a single treatment for people who have been treated with one or more chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease
Ogivri can also be used to treat metastatic, HER2-positive stomach cancer.
Common side effects of Ogivri include:
- low white blood cell counts
- peripheral neuropathy
- diarrhea
Less common but more severe side effects of Ogivri include heart damage and lung damage.
Learn more about Ogivri.
Ontruzant
Ontruzant is approved to treat non-metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes (node-positive) or is not in the lymph nodes but is considered to be at high risk of recurrence:
- after surgery as part of a treatment regiment that includes Adriamycin (chemical name: doxorubicin), Cytoxan (chemical name: cyclophosphamide), and either Taxol (chemical name: paclitaxel) or Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel)
- after surgery as part of a treatment regimen with Taxotere and carboplatin
- as a single treatment after people have been treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy
Ontruzant also is approved to treat metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer:
- in combination with Taxol as the first treatment for metastatic disease
- as a single treatment for people who have been treated with one or more chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease
Ontruzant also can be used to treat metastatic, HER2-positive stomach cancer.
Ontruzant can only be given by intravenous (IV) infusion, which means it is delivered directly into your bloodstream through an IV or a port.
Common side effects of Ontruzant include:
- headache
- diarrhea
- nausea
- chills
- fever
- infection
- heart problems
- insomnia
- cough
- rash
Like Herceptin, less common but more severe side effects include heart damage and lung damage.
It’s important to know that women who are pregnant or planning to get pregnant should not take Ontruzant. Ontruzant can harm the developing fetus. If there is any chance you can become pregnant, you must use effective birth control while you’re taking Ontruzant and for at least 7 months after your last dose.
Learn more about Ontruzant.
Trazimera
Trazimera is approved to treat non-metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes (node-positive) or is not in the lymph nodes but is considered to be at high risk of recurrence:
- after surgery as part of a treatment regimen that includes Adriamycin (chemical name: doxorubicin), Cytoxan (chemical name: cyclophosphamide), and either Taxol (chemical name: paclitaxel) or Taxotere (chemical name: docetaxel)
- after surgery as part of a treatment regimen with Taxotere and carboplatin
- as a single treatment after people have been treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy
Trazimera is also approved to treat metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer:
- in combination with Taxol as the first treatment for metastatic disease
- as a single treatment for people who have been treated with one or more chemotherapy regimens for metastatic disease
Trazimera also can be used to treat metastatic, HER2-positive stomach cancer.
Common Trazimera side effects include:
- headache
- diarrhea
- nausea
- chills
- fever
- infection
- weakening of the heart muscle and other heart problems
- insomnia
- cough
- rash
Learn more about Trazimera.
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References
- Herceptin (trastuzumab) prescribing information. Genentech. San Francisco, CA. 2018. Available at https://www.gene.com/download/pdf/herceptin_prescribing.pdf. (PDF)
- Herceptin Hylecta prescribing information. Genentech. San Francisco, CA. 2019. Available at https://www.gene.com/download/pdf/perjeta_prescribing.pdf. (PDF)
- Herzuma (trastuzumab-pkrb) prescribing information. Teva Pharmaceuticals. North Wales, PA. 2018. Available at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2018/761091s000lbl.pdf.
(PDF) - Ogivri (trastuzumab-dkst) prescribing information. Mylan. Zurich, Switzerland. 2017. Available at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/761074s000lbl.pdf. (PDF)
- Ontruzant (trastuzumab-dttb) prescribing information. Merck. Whitehouse Station, NJ. 2019. Available at https://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/o/ontruzant/ontruzant_pi.pdf.
(PDF)
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