Tukysa
Brand name: Tukysa
Chemical name: Tucatinib
Class: Tyrosine kinase inhibitor
How it works: Tyrosine kinases are enzymes that help control how cells grow and divide, among other functions. If the enzyme is too active or if a cell has too much of the enzyme, it can make cells grow uncontrollably. Tukysa blocks a specific area of the HER2 gene in cancer cells, which stops the cells from growing and spreading.
Uses: Tukysa is used in combination with Herceptin (chemical name: trastuzumab) and Xeloda (chemical name: capecitabine) to treat metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer or locally advanced HER2-positive disease that can’t be completely removed with surgery, after the cancer has been treated with at least one anti-HER2 medicine.
How it’s given: Tukysa is a pill taken by mouth.
Side effects:
- diarrhea
- hand-foot syndrome
- nausea
- fatigue
- liver problems
- vomiting
- mouth sores
- decreased appetite
- abdominal pain
- headache
- anemia
- rash
Read more about Tukysa.
Reference
- Tukysa (tucatinib) prescribing information. Seattle Genetics, Inc. Bothell, WA. 2020. Available at: https://seagendocs.com/TUKYSA_Full_Ltr_Master.pdf (PDF)
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