Ibrance

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Brand name: Ibrance

Chemical name: Palbociclib

Class: Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor. Kisqali and Verzenio are other CDK4/6 inhibitors used to treat breast cancer.

How it works: A kinase is a type of protein in the body that helps control cell division. Ibrance works by inhibiting the kinase and stopping cancer cells from dividing and growing.

Uses: Ibrance is used in combination with an aromatase inhibitor to treat advanced-stage or metastatic, hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that hasn’t been treated with hormonal therapy before in postmenopausal women and men. Arimidex (chemical name: anastrozole), Aromasin (chemical name: exemestane), and Femara (chemical name: letrozole) are aromatase inhibitors.

Ibrance also is approved to be used in combination with Faslodex (chemical name: fulvestrant) to treat advanced-stage or metastatic, hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that has grown after being treated with hormonal therapy in women and men. Premenopausal
and perimenopausal women who take Ibrance in combination with Faslodex also
should be treated with a medicine to suppress ovarian function.

How it’s given: Ibrance is a pill taken by mouth.

Side effects:

• anemia (low red blood cell count)
• fatigue
• nausea
• mouth sores
• hair thinning or loss
• diarrhea
• vomiting
• weakness
• decreased appetite
• neutropenia (low white blood cell count)
• infections
• blood clots
• severe lung inflammation

Read more about Ibrance.

Reference

1. Ibrance (palbociclib) prescribing information. Pfizer. New York, NY. 2018. Available at: http://labeling.pfizer.com/ShowLabeling.aspx?id=2191

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