Pertuzumab
Also sold as: Perjeta, Phesgo
Related Medications
These drugs share a pharmacologic classification but are NOT interchangeable. Listing here does not imply clinical equivalence. A physician must evaluate each drug individually for the patient's specific condition.
Classification: HER2/Neu/cerbB2 Antagonists (source: RxClass/NLM)
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Drug Information
Mechanism of Action
12.1 Mechanism of Action Pertuzumab targets the extracellular dimerization domain (Subdomain II) of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 protein (HER2) and, thereby, blocks ligand-dependent heterodimerization of HER2 with other HER family members, including EGFR, HER3, and HER4. As a result, pertuzumab inhibits ligand-initiated intracellular signaling through two major signal pathways, mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K). Inhibition of these signaling pathways can result in cell growth arrest and apoptosis, respectively. In addition, pertuzumab mediates antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). While pertuzumab alone inhibited the proliferation of human tumor cells, the combination of pertuzumab and trastuzumab augmented anti-tumor activity in HER2-overexpressing xenograft models.
Indications & Uses
1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE PERJETA is a HER2/neu receptor antagonist indicated for: Use in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel for treatment of adults with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who have not received prior anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic disease. ( 1.1 ) Use in combination with trastuzumab and chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment of adults with HER2-positive, locally advanced, inflammatory, or early stage breast cancer (either greater than 2 cm in diameter or node positive) as part of a complete treatment regimen for early breast cancer. ( 1.2 , 2.2 , 14.2 ) adjuvant treatment of adults with HER2-positive early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence ( 1.2 , 2.2 , 14.3 ) 1.1 Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) PERJETA is indicated for use in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel for the treatment of adults with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer who have not received prior anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic disease [see Dosage and Administration (2.2) and Clinical Studies (14.1) ] . 1.2 Early Breast Cancer (EBC) PERJETA is indicated for use in combination with trastuzumab and chemotherapy for the neoadjuvant treatment of adults with HER2-positive, locally advanced, inflammatory, or early stage breast cancer (either greater than 2 cm in diameter or node positive) as part of a complete treatment regimen for early breast cancer [see Dosage and Administration (2.2) and Clinical Studies (14.2) ] . the adjuvant treatment of adults with HER2-positive early breast cancer at high risk of recurrence [see Dosage and Administration (2.2) and Clinical Studies (14.3) ] .
Dosage & Administration
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION For intravenous infusion only. Do not administer as an intravenous push or bolus. ( 2.5 ) HER2 testing: Perform using FDA-approved tests by laboratories with demonstrated proficiency. ( 2.1 ) The initial PERJETA dose is 840 mg administered as a 60-minute intravenous infusion, followed every 3 weeks thereafter by 420 mg administered as a 30 to 60 minute intravenous infusion. ( 2.3 ) MBC: Administer PERJETA, trastuzumab or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk, and docetaxel every 3 weeks. ( 2.3 ) Neoadjuvant: Administer PERJETA, trastuzumab or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk, and chemotherapy preoperatively every 3 weeks for 3 to 6 cycles. ( 2.3 ) Adjuvant: Administer PERJETA, trastuzumab or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk, and chemotherapy postoperatively every 3 weeks for a total of 1 year (up to 18 cycles). ( 2.3 ) 2.1 Evaluation and Testing Before Initiating Perjeta Assess left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) prior to initiation of PERJETA and at regular intervals during treatment [see Boxed Warning , Dosage and Administration (2.4) , Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. Verify the pregnancy status of females of reproductive potential prior to the initiation of PERJETA [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) , Use in Specific Populations (8.1 , 8.3) ]. 2.2 Patient Selection Select patients based on HER2 protein overexpression or HER2 gene amplification in tumor specimens [see Indications and Usage (1) and Clinical Studies (14) ] . Assessment of HER2 protein overexpression and HER2 gene amplification should be performed using FDA-approved tests specific for breast cancer by laboratories with demonstrated proficiency. Information on the FDA-approved tests for the detection of HER2 protein overexpression and HER2 gene amplification is available at: http://www.fda.gov/CompanionDiagnostics. Improper assay performance, including use of suboptimally fixed tissue, failure to utilize specified reagents, deviation from specific assay instructions, and failure to include appropriate controls for assay validation, can lead to unreliable results. 2.3 Recommended Dosage and Administration The initial dose of PERJETA is 840 mg administered as a 60-minute intravenous infusion, followed every 3 weeks by a dose of 420 mg administered as an intravenous infusion over 30 to 60 minutes. When administered with PERJETA, the recommended initial dose of trastuzumab is 8 mg/kg administered as a 90-minute intravenous infusion, followed every 3 weeks by a dose of 6 mg/kg administered as an intravenous infusion over 30 to 90 minutes. When administered with PERJETA, the recommended initial dose of trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk is 600 mg/10,000 units (600 mg trastuzumab and 10,000 units hyaluronidase) administered subcutaneously over approximately 2 to 5 minutes once every three weeks irrespective of the patient's body weight. Administer PERJETA, trastuzumab or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk, and taxane sequentially. PERJETA and trastuzumab or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk can be given in any order. Administer taxane after PERJETA and trastuzumab or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk. An observation period of 30 to 60 minutes is recommended after each PERJETA infusion and before commencement of any subsequent administration of trastuzumab or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk, or taxane [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ]. In patients receiving an anthracycline-based regimen, administer PERJETA and trastuzumab or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk after completion of the anthracycline. Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) When administered with PERJETA, the recommended initial dose of docetaxel is 75 mg/m 2 administered as an intravenous infusion. The dose may be escalated to 100 mg/m 2 administered every 3 weeks if the initial dose is well tolerated. Neoadjuvant Treatment of Breast Cancer Administer PERJETA every 3 weeks for 3 to 6 cycles as part of one of the following treatment regimens [see Clinical Studies (14.2 , 14.3) ] : Four preoperative cycles of PERJETA in combination with trastuzumab or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk and docetaxel followed by 3 postoperative cycles of fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FEC) Three or four preoperative cycles of FEC alone followed by 3 or 4 preoperative cycles of PERJETA in combination with docetaxel and trastuzumab or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk Six preoperative cycles of PERJETA in combination with docetaxel, carboplatin, and trastuzumab (TCH) or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk (escalation of docetaxel above 75 mg/m 2 is not recommended) Four preoperative cycles of dose-dense doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (ddAC) alone followed by 4 preoperative cycles of PERJETA in combination with paclitaxel and trastuzumab or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk Following surgery, administer PERJETA and trastuzumab or trastuzumab hyaluronidase-oysk to complete 1 year of treatment (up to 18 cycles) or until disease recurrence or unmanageable toxicity, whichever occurs first. Adjuvant Treatme
Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the label: Left Ventricular Dysfunction [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Embryo-Fetal Toxicity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Infusion-Related Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Hypersensitivity Reactions/Anaphylaxis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Metastatic Breast Cancer The most common adverse reactions (> 30%) with PERJETA in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel were diarrhea, alopecia, neutropenia, nausea, fatigue, rash, and peripheral neuropathy. ( 6.1 ) Neoadjuvant Treatment of Breast Cancer The most common adverse reactions (> 30%) with PERJETA in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel were alopecia, diarrhea, nausea, and neutropenia. ( 6.1 ) The most common adverse reactions (>30%) with PERJETA in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel when given for 3 cycles following 3 cycles of FEC were fatigue, alopecia, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and neutropenia. ( 6.1 ) The most common adverse reactions (>30%) with PERJETA in combination with docetaxel, carboplatin, and trastuzumab (TCH) were fatigue, alopecia, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia. ( 6.1 ) The most common adverse reactions (>30%) with PERJETA in combination with trastuzumab and paclitaxel when given for 4 cycles following 4 cycles of ddAC were nausea, diarrhea, alopecia, fatigue, constipation, peripheral neuropathy, and headache. ( 6.1 ) The most common adverse reactions (>30%) with PERJETA in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel when given for 4 cycles following 4 cycles of FEC were diarrhea, nausea, alopecia, asthenia, constipation, fatigue, mucosal inflammation, vomiting, myalgia, and anemia. ( 6.1 ) Adjuvant Treatment of Breast Cancer The most common adverse reactions (>30%) with PERJETA in combination with trastuzumab and chemotherapy were diarrhea, nausea, alopecia, fatigue, peripheral neuropathy and vomiting. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Genentech at 1-888-835-2555 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch . 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC) CLEOPATRA The safety of PERJETA in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel was evaluated in a randomized trial (CLEOPATRA) in patients with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer [see Clinical Studies (14.1) ] . Patients received either PERJETA administered at an initial dose of 840 mg followed by 420 mg every 3 weeks thereafter or placebo in combination with trastuzumab (initial dose of 8 mg/kg, followed by 6 mg/kg every 3 weeks thereafter) and docetaxel (75 mg/m2 by intravenous infusion every 3 weeks for 6 cycles). The median duration of study treatment was 18.1 months for patients in the PERJETA-treated group. Permanent discontinuation of PERJETA, trastuzumab, and docetaxel due to adverse reactions occurred in 6% of patients. Adverse reactions that led to permanent discontinuation of PERJETA, trastuzumab, and docetaxel in >1% of patients were left ventricular dysfunction. The safety profile of PERJETA remained unchanged with an additional 2.75 years of follow-up (median total follow-up of 50 months) in CLEOPATRA. The most common adverse reactions (> 30%) with PERJETA in combination with trastuzumab and docetaxel were diarrhea, alopecia, neutropenia, nausea, fatigue, rash, and peripheral neuropathy. The most common Grade 3 – 4 adverse reactions (> 2%) were neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, leukopenia, diarrhea, peripheral neuropathy, anemia, asthenia, and fatigue. An increased incidence of febrile neutropenia was observed for Asian patients in both treatment arms compared with patients of other races and from other geographic regions. Among Asian patients, the incidence of febrile neutropenia was higher in the pertuzumab-treated group (26%) compared with the placebo-treated group (12%). Table 3 summarizes the adverse reactions in CLEOPATRA that occurred ≥ 10% of patients in the PERJETA-treated group. Table 3: Adverse Reactions (≥ 10%) in Patients Who Received PERJETA in Combination with Trastuzumab and Docetaxel in CLEOPATRA Adverse Reactions PERJETA + trastuzumab + docetaxel n=407 % Placebo + trastuzumab + docetaxel n=397 % All Grades % Grades 3 – 4 % All Grades % Grades 3 – 4 % Gastrointestinal disorders Diarrhea 67 8 46 5 Nausea 42 1 42 0.5 Vomiting 24 1 24 2 Stomatitis 19 0.5 15 0.3 Constipation 15 0 25 1 Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders Alopecia 61 0 60 0.3 Rash 34 0.7 24 0.8 Nail disorder 23 1 23 0.3 Pruritus 14 0 10 0 Dry skin 11 0 4 0 Blood and lymphatic system disorders Neutropenia 53 49 50 46 Anemia 23 2 19 4 Leukopenia 18 12 20 15 Febrile neutropenia In this tabl
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS PERJETA is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to pertuzumab or to any of its excipients [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)]. PERJETA is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to pertuzumab or to any of its excipients. ( 4 )
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Data sourced from RxNorm (NLM/NIH), FDA Orange Book, OpenFDA, DailyMed. Last updated: 2026-03-02.