tykerb

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1

Has anyone any more news on tykerb being passed ! please let me know if poss ! going for results of scan (ct +mri) tomorrow then herceptin i am keeping my fingers crossed

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Hi Sophie

I am lucky enough to be on the tykerb/xeloda trial through the LEAP trial… i have received breast cancer cares newsletter today - autumn 2007 issue and there is a feature in there stating that its currently undergoing regulatory review in europe and is expected to recieive its licence for use in secondary bc towards the end of the year.

hope this helps…

Jakki
xx

3

sorry meant to say… good luck with your scan results… do let us know how you get on…

xx

4

Hello,

can you give some more info on this please.

I have secondary breast cancer in my bones and am on toxetere at the moment.

thanks

5

fayjay69

Tykerb is the “new” herceptin drug… its given in tablet form instead of an infusion… it is for HER2 positive breast cancer and is used when herceptin has failed. It is also known as Lapatinib.

Its not licenced here on the UK as yet and its currently being trialed in only a few hospitals… its being given in combo with Xeloda (capcitabine). From what i understand you have to have had an anthracycline type chemo and a taxane chemo and herceptin and then had progresssion of disease after these drugs have been used to be accepted for the trial and also your heart has to be tested too as like herceptin it can affect the heart.

Tykerb is different from herceptin as it targets both her1 and her2 and also can cross the blood/brain barrier… it also targets the inside of the cells as oppose to the outside… this is only what i have learned from my onc and a great US website - her2support.org. if you go on there and seach tykerb or lapatinb you will find a vast amout of info on it as its licenced in the US, the ladies on there have had some really encouraging results so far… i’m hoping for the same!

hope this helps.

jakki
xx

6

Hi Jakki , great news about tykerb thanks !
hey but scan results show no progress and are stable at present which is great news the longer stable for the more on offer for us all ! i am glad tykerb will be available soon as people should nt have to fight to get medicine.

7

Sophie

Fab news about your scan results!! I hope that Tykerb wil be available to all those that need it and we dont have the same fight due to cost like we did with herceptin a couple of years ago!

Jakki
xx

8

Hello,

Thanks for the info, I am still waiting to find out if I can have herceptin.

My onc told me only one in four people can have it. I have to wait for the results of my test to see if I can.

I have my next chemo on 13th and will see my oncologist then so lets hope I find out then.

Fay
xx

9

great news , scan results show stable at last a bit of good news !

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How can you get Tykerb?

11

It is only available on extended trial licence and you have to have had an anthrocythin like epirubicin, a taxane and a year’s worth of herceptin and your cancer still growing to be accepted on the trial. You have to be HER2+++ for tykerb.
The licencing commmittee were supposed to have looked at it in july but it has been delayed till Novemeber and as far as I understand NICE will look at the recomendation of it within 3 months of it getting the licence.
Fay - is it that you have not got your results back and that is why you don’t know if you need to have herceptin or is it something to do with funding that not all women who are HER2+++ get it. If it is a funding issue then you need to pursue it but if you are not her2+++ then you don’t need it.
Hope that helps
Kate