Yes, Tykerb (lapatinib) is used for HER2-positive breast cancer.
How is Tykerb approved and prescribed?
The FDA approves Tykerb in combination with capecitabine for patients with advanced or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer who have received prior therapy including an anthracycline, a taxane, and trastuzumab (Herceptin). It's also approved with letrozole for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer that overexpresses HER2 and whose cancer progressed on prior endocrine therapy.[1][2]
What makes it specific to HER2-positive cancers?
Tykerb is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that targets HER2 and EGFR proteins on cancer cells, blocking signals that promote tumor growth. It's indicated only for HER2-overexpressing (HER2-positive) breast cancers, confirmed by tests like FISH or IHC.[1]
When is Tykerb typically used in treatment sequence?
Doctors use it after first-line HER2 therapies like trastuzumab or pertuzumab fail, often as second- or third-line options for metastatic cases. It's not standard for early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer or non-breast HER2-positive cancers like gastric cancer.[2][3]
What about common side effects or patient concerns?
Frequent issues include diarrhea (managed with loperamide), hand-foot syndrome, nausea, fatigue, and liver enzyme elevations. Heart function monitoring is required due to rare cardiotoxicity risks. It's not recommended during pregnancy.[1][2]
How does Tykerb compare to other HER2 drugs?
Unlike trastuzumab or ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla), which are antibodies, Tykerb is an oral small-molecule inhibitor. It's often combined with chemotherapy or hormone therapy but has largely been supplanted by newer options like tucatinib (Tukysa) or neratinib (Nerlynx) in later lines.[3]
Sources
[1]: FDA Label for Tykerb
[2]: National Cancer Institute - Lapatinib
[3]: DrugPatentWatch.com - Tykerb Patents