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Verzenio

Brand name: Verzenio

Chemical name: Abemaciclib

Class: Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitor. Ibrance and Kisqali 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. Verzenio works by inhibiting the kinase and stopping cancer cells from dividing and growing.

Uses: Verzenio is used in combination with an aromatase inhibitor as the first hormonal therapy to treat advanced-stage or metastatic, hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Arimidex (chemical name: anastrozole), Aromasin (chemical name: exemestane), and Femara (chemical name: letrozole) are aromatase inhibitors.

Verzenio also is used in combination with Faslodex (chemical name: fulvestrant) to treat women diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic or advanced-stage breast cancer if the cancer grew after hormonal therapy treatment. Premenopausal and perimenopausal women who take Verzenio in combination with Faslodex also should be treated with a medicine to suppress ovarian function.

Verzenio is used alone to treat women and men diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive, HER2-negative metastatic or advanced-stage breast cancer if the cancer grew after hormonal therapy treatment and earlier chemotherapy for metastatic disease.

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

Side effects:

diarrhea
low white blood cell counts (neutropenia and leukopenia)
nausea
abdominal pain
infections
fatigue
low red blood cell counts (anemia)
decreased appetite
vomiting
headache
low platelet counts (thrombocytopenia)
severe lung inflammation
hair thinning or loss (alopecia)

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