Hertraz 150 (Trastuzumab Vials) 150mg

Trastuzumab treats cancers that overexpress the HER2 protein, confirmed by laboratory testing before treatment begins.

• Early HER2-positive breast cancer: given after surgery, and sometimes before it, to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.
• Metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer: treats advanced disease, alone or combined with chemotherapy.
• HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer: treats advanced stomach or gastro-oesophageal junction cancer alongside chemotherapy.
• Combination regimens: often given with taxane or other chemotherapy, and with pertuzumab in dual HER2 blockade.
• The 150mg single-use presentation: suits weight-based dosing and reduces waste compared with larger multi-dose vials.

• Trastuzumab targets HER2, a receptor protein on the surface of some breast and stomach cancer cells that signals them to grow and divide. By binding HER2, trastuzumab blocks the growth signals these cancers depend on and slows their proliferation. It also flags the cancer cells so that immune cells can destroy them. Because the antibody acts on HER2-positive cells, tissue without this receptor is largely spared.

Report new breathlessness, cough, or ankle swelling promptly, as these can signal effects on the heart or lungs.

Common Side Effects

• Fever, chills, and infusion reactions: common, particularly with the first infusion.
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea: frequent digestive effects during treatment.
• Fatigue, headache, and muscle pain: general effects across treatment cycles.
• Low blood counts: reduced white cells or platelets, especially alongside chemotherapy.

Serious or Rare Side Effects

• Heart failure and reduced heart function: trastuzumab can weaken the heart, more so with anthracycline chemotherapy; report breathlessness, swelling, or a fast heartbeat.
• Serious infusion reactions: severe reactions including anaphylaxis; stop the infusion and seek emergency care for breathing difficulty or collapse.
• Lung toxicity and harm in pregnancy: seek urgent care for severe breathlessness, and use effective contraception, as it can seriously harm an unborn baby.

Trastuzumab requires cardiac monitoring and careful patient selection before and during treatment.

• Assess heart function first: measure heart pump function before starting, monitor during treatment, and stop for a significant decline.
• Confirm HER2 status: treat only patients whose cancer tests positive for HER2 overexpression.
• Take extra care with anthracyclines: combined or recent use raises the risk of heart damage.
• Monitor for infusion reactions: watch during and after infusions and manage reactions promptly.
• Prevent pregnancy: use effective contraception during treatment and for seven months after the last dose.
• Store at 2-8°C: keep refrigerated, protect from light, do not freeze, and use the prepared solution within the recommended time.

Review trastuzumab against the patient’s other cancer treatments and heart medicines before each cycle.

Major Interactions (Avoid)

• Anthracycline chemotherapy (doxorubicin, epirubicin): combined or recent use markedly raises the risk of heart failure, so monitor heart function closely.
• Ado-trastuzumab emtansine: do not substitute or combine, as these are distinct products with different dosing.

Moderate Interactions (Monitor Closely)

• Myelosuppressive chemotherapy: added bone marrow suppression can deepen low blood counts, so monitor counts.
• Other cardiotoxic drugs: overlapping effects on the heart call for careful cardiac monitoring.
• Live vaccines: use caution during treatment, particularly when trastuzumab is given alongside chemotherapy.