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tigerbeth's avatar
tigerbeth
Member
7 years ago

Good news for some .................new drug

NERLYNX^® (neratinib) now approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for Australian women^2
· Leading Australian breast cancer oncologist says this is a 'huge step forward' for Australian women
· Five-year data shows NERLYNX reduces the risk of invasive disease recurrence or death by 42% in women with early-stage, HER2+/HR+ breast cancer^3
· NERLYNX now available to eligible women at no cost in Australia via the NERLYNX Access Program   

The drug, NERLYNX (neratinib) is an oral medication taken for 12 months by women with early stage HER2-positive (HER2+) breast cancer. It is now TGA approved with the following indication:

*"NERLYNX is indicated for the extended adjuvant treatment of adult patients with early-stage HER2-overexpressed/amplified breast cancer, to follow adjuvant trastuzumab based therapy."^2*

The greatest benefit is seen in women who are hormone-receptor positive (HR+) and who initiate NERLYNX therapy within 12 months of completing trastuzumab based therapy. Their five-year risk of recurrence or death is reduced by 42% after completing 12 months of NERLYNX therapy.^3
  • I would possibly qualify but not really that keen. Sounds like more horror to me.
  • Best ask your oncologist @Twiggyjumps. Side effects sound horrendous though!
     :'( 
  • I wonder if I’m eligible? Surgery was October 2017 & Finished Herceptin in April 2018. 
  • Thanks for the links. I do remember reading about it now.......ughhh......sounds horrible............ and just saw on breastcancer.org that ideally you take it after Herceptin and within 2 years of surgery, so I've missed that boat!

  • There was a thread about this some time ago when it was in the trial stage. The message from that was proceed with caution. Even the newspaper reports state that the major side effect is diarrhea; some of the people on the site who entered the trial (someone with a more tech brain than I can probably find the thread) abandoned the trial very early because they were literally shitting themselves all day. Perhaps there are measures in place to counteract that now, and like everything else responses will vary. But it's not all roses, despite being a definite progression in preventative treatment.
  • I heard this on the news too. I wonder when they will introduce it and if there will be a follow up service for all of us other HER2 positive peeps?