Datroway (Dato-DXd) for Breast Cancer
Updated on November 4, 2025
If you have hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast (metastatic) or can’t be removed with surgery, your doctor may prescribe Datroway (chemical name: datopotamab deruxtecan-dlnk). This medicine, commonly called Dato-DXd by doctors, is used if the cancer grows during treatment with both hormonal therapy and chemotherapy.
Datroway was approved by the FDA based on results from the TROPION-Breast01 trial. That study found that people who received Datroway had better progression-free survival — which is how long a person lives without the cancer growing — than people who received standard chemotherapy.
See Datroway prescribing information.
How does Datroway work?
Datroway is a type of targeted therapy called an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC). The drug is made up of two main parts:
a monoclonal antibody called datopotamab that targets the Trop-2 protein
a chemotherapy medicine called DXd
The datopotamab part of Datroway helps track down cancer cells, which have higher amounts of the Trop-2 protein on their surface than other cells. The antibody then attaches to the Trop-2 protein. Once inside the cell, the DXd chemotherapy is released, destroying the cancer cell.
The DXd chemotherapy isn’t a targeted medicine like datopotamab is, so it can affect healthy cells as well as cancer cells. But because the DXd is linked to the datopotamab, the medicine is able to target cancer cells with Trop-2 proteins on them. This makes Datroway less toxic to healthy cells and more effective in treating cancer cells.
What to expect during Datroway treatment
Datroway is given intravenously as an infusion, which means the medicine is delivered directly into your bloodstream through an IV or port. Datroway is usually given in doses of 6 mg/kg every three weeks until the cancer grows or you develop unacceptable side effects.
The first infusion of Datroway takes about 90 minutes. Infusions after that take about 30 minutes.
Datroway side effects
Like most breast cancer medicines, Datroway can cause side effects, sometimes severe. The most common side effects of Datroway seen in the TROPION-Breast01 study were:
More rarely, Datroway may also cause serious side effects, including:
Interstitial lung disease: Interstitial lung disease is a general term for disorders that cause inflammation and scarring in the lungs. The scarring makes lung tissue stiff, which makes it difficult to breathe. You should be closely monitored for signs of interstitial lung disease while receiving Datroway. Tell your doctor right away if you experience shortness of breath or have a dry cough.
Severe eye problems: Besides dry eye, Datroway also may cause ulcers on the cornea (the outer layer of the eye that allows light to enter), as well as blurred vision and pink eye (conjunctivitis). Your doctor will likely recommend you avoid wearing contact lenses and use preservative-free lubricating eye drops while you’re receiving Dato-DXd. You also should have a complete eye exam (including checks of your eye pressure, retina, and optic nerve) when you start Dato-DXd, every year while you’re receiving it, and again at the end of treatment.
Severe mouth sores: To help prevent painful mouth sores and infection, your doctor will probably recommend that you use a mouthwash that contains a steroid while you’re receiving Datroway. It’s also recommended that you hold ice chips or ice water in your mouth while you’re receiving a Datroway infusion.
You should not receive Datroway if you’re pregnant or planning to get pregnant, as it can cause embryo death and birth defects. If you’re able to get pregnant, it’s important to use effective birth control while you’re receiving Datroway and for seven months after your last dose. People receiving Datroway with partners who can become pregnant should use effective birth control while receiving it and for four months after the last dose.
Paying for Datroway
The cost of Datroway may vary. The price you’ll pay depends on your health insurance provider and plan, where you live, and the pharmacy you use.
Note: Your insurance company may require you to get prior authorization before covering Datroway.
If your doctor prescribes Datroway and you have problems getting it covered by insurance or don’t have insurance, both Daiichi-Sankyo and AstraZeneca, the companies that make Datroway, have patient assistance programs.
Learn more about financial assistance and medicine cost-lowering tips.