Before lung cancer therapy begins, diagnostic findings and treatment readiness shape care, creating opportunities for pharmacists to help patients start safely.
|Articles|November 19, 2021
Daily Medication Pearl: Pertuzumab (Perjeta) Injection for Breast Cancer
Author(s)Saro Arakelians, PharmD
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Key Takeaways
- Pertuzumab is indicated for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel for patients without prior anti-HER2 therapy.
- The initial dosing regimen involves an 840 mg IV infusion, followed by 420 mg every three weeks.
Pertuzumab is indicated for use in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel for treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who have not received prior anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic disease.
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Medication Pearl of the Day: Pertuzumab (Perjeta) Injection
Indication: Pertuzumabis a human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/neu receptor antagonist indicated for use in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel for treatment of patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who have not received prior anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic disease.
Insight
- Dosing: The initial pertuzumabdose is 840 mg administered as a 60-minute intravenous (IV) infusion, followed every 3 weeks thereafter by 420 mg administered as a 30- to 60-minute IV infusion.
- Dosage form: Injection 420 mg/14 mL single-dose vial.
- Adverse events: Diarrhea, alopecia, neutropenia, nausea, fatigue, rash, and peripheral neuropathy.
- Mechanism of action: Pertuzumab targets the extracellular dimerization domain (subdomain II) of the HER2 and, thereby, blocks ligand-dependent heterodimerization of HER2 with other HER family members, including EGFR, HER3, and HER4.
- Manufacturer: Genentech
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