Herceptin/Herceptin SC Special Precautions

General: In order to improve traceability of biological medicinal products, the trade name and the batch number of the administered product should be clearly recorded (or stated) in the patient file.
Herceptin therapy should only be initiated under supervision of a physician experienced in the treatment of cancer patients.
Infusion/Administration-related reactions (IRRs/ARRs): IRRs/ARRs are known to occur with the administration of Herceptin (see Adverse Reactions).
IRRs/ARRs may be clinically difficult to distinguish from hypersensitivity reactions.
Pre-medication may be used to reduce risk of occurrence of IRRs/ARRs.
Serious IRRs/ARRs to Herceptin including dyspnoea, hypotension, wheezing, bronchospasm, tachycardia, reduced oxygen saturation and respiratory distress, supraventricular tachyarrhythmia and urticaria have been reported (see Adverse Reactions). Patients should be observed for IRRs/ARRs. Interruption of an IV infusion may help control such symptoms and the infusion may be resumed when symptoms abate. These symptoms can be treated with an analgesic/antipyretic such as meperidine or paracetamol, or an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine. Serious reactions have been treated successfully with supportive therapy such as oxygen, beta-agonists and corticosteroids. In rare cases, these reactions are associated with a clinical course culminating in a fatal outcome. Patients who are experiencing dyspnoea at rest due to complications of advanced malignancy or co-morbidities may be at increased risk of a fatal infusion reaction. Therefore, these patients should not be treated with Herceptin.
Pulmonary reactions: Severe pulmonary events have been reported with the use of Herceptin IV in the post-marketing setting. These events have occasionally resulted in fatal outcome and may occur as part of an IRR or with a delayed onset. In addition, cases of interstitial lung disease including lung infiltrates, acute respiratory distress syndrome, pneumonia, pneumonitis, pleural effusion, respiratory distress, acute pulmonary oedema and respiratory insufficiency have been reported.
Risk factors associated with interstitial lung disease include prior or concomitant therapy with other anti-neoplastic therapies known to be associated with it such as taxanes, gemcitabine, vinorelbine and radiation therapy. Patients with dyspnoea at rest due to complications of advanced malignancy and co-morbidities may be at increased risk of pulmonary events. Therefore, these patients should not be treated with Herceptin.
Cardiac dysfunction: General considerations: Patients treated with Herceptin are at increased risk of developing congestive heart failure (CHF) (New York Heart Association [NYHA] Class II-IV) or asymptomatic cardiac dysfunction. These events have been observed in patients receiving Herceptin therapy alone or in combination with taxane following anthracycline (doxorubicin or epirubicin)-containing chemotherapy. This may be moderate to severe and has been associated with death (see Adverse Reactions). In addition, caution should be exercised in treating patients with increased cardiac risk, e.g. hypertension, documented coronary artery disease, CHF, diastolic dysfunction, older age.
Population pharmacokinetic model simulations indicate that trastuzumab may persist in the circulation for up to 7 months after stopping Herceptin IV or Herceptin SC treatment (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics under Actions). Patients who receive anthracycline after stopping Herceptin may also be at increased risk of cardiac dysfunction.
If possible, physicians should avoid anthracycline-based therapy for up to 7 months after stopping Herceptin. If anthracyclines are used, the patient's cardiac function should be monitored carefully.
Candidates for treatment with Herceptin, especially those with prior exposure to an anthracycline, should undergo baseline cardiac assessment including history and physical examination, electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram or multigated acquisition scanning (MUGA) scan. Monitoring may help to identify patients who develop cardiac dysfunction, including signs and symptoms of CHF. Cardiac assessments, as performed at baseline, should be repeated every 3 months during treatment and every 6 months following discontinuation of treatment until 24 months from the last administration of Herceptin.
If LVEF percentage drops 10 points from baseline and to below 50%, Herceptin should be withheld and a repeat LVEF assessment performed within approximately 3 weeks. If LVEF has not improved, or has declined further, or if clinically significant CHF has developed, discontinuation of Herceptin should be strongly considered, unless the benefits for the individual patient are deemed to outweigh the risks.
Patients who develop asymptomatic cardiac dysfunction may benefit from more frequent monitoring (e.g. every 6 - 8 weeks). If patients have a continued decrease in left ventricular function, but remain asymptomatic, the physician should consider discontinuing therapy unless the benefits for the individual patient are deemed to outweigh the risks.
The safety of continuation or resumption of Herceptin in patients who experience cardiac dysfunction has not been prospectively studied. If symptomatic cardiac failure develops during Herceptin therapy, it should be treated with standard medications for heart failure (HF). In the pivotal trials, most patients who developed HF or asymptomatic cardiac dysfunction improved with standard HF treatment consisting of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) and a β-blocker. The majority of patients with cardiac symptoms and evidence of a clinical benefit of Herceptin treatment continued with Herceptin without additional clinical cardiac events.
Metastatic breast cancer (MBC): Herceptin and anthracyclines should not be given concurrently in the metastatic breast cancer setting.
Early breast cancer (EBC): For patients with EBC, cardiac assessments, as performed at baseline, should be repeated every 3 months during treatment and every 6 months following discontinuation of treatment until 24 months from the last administration of Herceptin. In patients who receive anthracycline-containing chemotherapy, further monitoring is recommended and should occur yearly up to 5 years from the last administration of Herceptin, or longer if a continuous decrease of LVEF is observed.
Patients with history of myocardial infarction (MI), angina pectoris requiring medication, history of or present CHF (NYHA Class II-IV), other cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmia requiring medication, clinically significant cardiac valvular disease, poorly controlled hypertension (hypertension controlled by standard medication eligible), and hemodynamic effective pericardial effusion were excluded from adjuvant breast cancer clinical trials with Herceptin.
Adjuvant treatment: Herceptin and anthracyclines should not be given concurrently in the adjuvant treatment setting.
In patients with EBC an increase in the incidence of symptomatic and asymptomatic cardiac events was observed when Herceptin IV was administered after anthracycline-containing chemotherapy compared to administration with a non-anthracycline regimen of docetaxel and carboplatin. The incidence was more marked when Herceptin IV was administered concurrently with taxanes than when administered sequentially to taxanes. Regardless of the regimen used, most symptomatic cardiac events occurred within the first 18 months.
Risk factors for a cardiac event identified in four large adjuvant studies included advanced age (> 50 years), low level of baseline and declining LVEF (< 55%), low LVEF prior to or following the initiation of paclitaxel treatment, Herceptin treatment, and prior or concurrent use of anti-hypertensive medications. In patients receiving Herceptin after completion of adjuvant chemotherapy, the risk of cardiac dysfunction was associated with a higher cumulative dose of anthracycline given prior to initiation of Herceptin and a high body mass index (BMI >25 kg/m²).
Neoadjuvant-adjuvant treatment: In patients with EBC eligible for neoadjuvant-adjuvant treatment, Herceptin concurrently with anthracyclines should be used with caution and only in chemotherapy-naive patients. The maximum cumulative doses of the low-dose anthracycline regimens should not exceed 180 mg/m² (doxorubicin) or 360 mg/m² (epirubicin).
If patients have been treated concurrently with low-dose anthracyclines and Herceptin in the neoadjuvant setting, no additional cytotoxic chemotherapy should be given after surgery.
Clinical experience in the neoadjuvant-adjuvant setting is limited in patients above 65 years of age.
Benzyl alcohol: Benzyl alcohol, used as a preservative in bacteriostatic water for injection in the 440 mg multidose vial, has been associated with toxicity in neonates and children up to 3 years old. When administering Herceptin to a patient with a known hypersensitivity to benzyl alcohol, Herceptin should be reconstituted with water for injection, and only one dose per Herceptin vial should be used. Any unused portion must be discarded. Sterile water for injection, used to reconstitute the 60 mg and 150 mg single dose vials, does not contain benzyl alcohol.
Drug Abuse and Dependence: No data to report.
Ability to Drive and Use Machines: Herceptin has a minor influence on the ability to drive and use machines. Dizziness and somnolence may occur during treatment with Herceptin (see Adverse Reactions).
Patients experiencing infusion-related symptoms (see as previously mentioned) should be advised not to drive or use machines until symptoms resolve completely.
Renal Impairment: In a population pharmacokinetic analysis, renal impairment was shown not to affect trastuzumab disposition.
Hepatic Impairment: No data to report.
Use in Children: The safety and efficacy of Herceptin in paediatric patients below the age of 18 have not been established.
Use in the Elderly: Data suggest that the disposition of Herceptin is not altered based on age (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics: Pharmacokinetics in Special Populations under Actions).