Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatment Drug: ABRAXANE for Injectable Suspension

ABRAXANE for Injectable Suspension
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Benefits of ABRAXANE®


Black Box Warning

ABRAXANE for Injectable Suspension is indicated for the treatment of breast cancer after failure of combination chemotherapy for metastatic disease or relapse within 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy. Prior therapy should have included an anthracycline unless clinically contraindicated.

ABRAXANE has some important benefits compared to solvent-based paclitaxel (Taxol® Injection) in terms of efficacy (tumor response), the lack of medications needed to help prevent solvent-related hypersensitivity reactions, and the time it takes for an infusion.

Patients showed nearly double the response to
ABRAXANE in a clinical trial compared to solvent-based paclitaxel.1

A study comparing ABRAXANE with solvent-based paclitaxel in women with metastatic breast cancer showed that ABRAXANE was more effective than solvent-based paclitaxel. In the clinical trial, the tumor response rate was nearly double for patients who received ABRAXANE compared to those who received solvent-based paclitaxel. ABRAXANE is solvent-free, which allowed a higher dose of tumor-fighting paclitaxel to be administered in the clinical study.

  • The overall response rate with ABRAXANE for all study patients was 21.5% compared to 11.1% with solvent-based paclitaxel
  • The overall response rate with ABRAXANE for study patients who failed combination chemotherapy or relapsed within 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy was 15.5% compared to 8.4% with solvent-based paclitaxel

No premedication required to
prevent solvent-related hypersensitivity

One of the most important differences between ABRAXANE and solvent-based paclitaxel is the lack of solvents. These solvents can cause side effects such as difficulty breathing, hives, swollen eyes and lips, a flushed face, and severe allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reactions), which is why patients also need to be pretreated with steroids and antihistamines. Because ABRAXANE does not contain solvents, patients treated with ABRAXANE do not need to be pretreated with these medications.

Severe allergic reactions to ABRAXANE, although rare, can occur. Contact your doctor if you experience any signs of an allergic reaction.

Infusion time is significantly shorter with ABRAXANE

ABRAXANE is administered in only 30 minutes, while solvent-based paclitaxel can take up to 3 hours. This gives you more time away from the clinic.

 

To learn more about the benefits of ABRAXANE, talk to your doctor.

 

Important Safety Information & Boxed Warning

You should receive ABRAXANE for Injectable Suspension (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) under the care of a doctor who is trained to use cancer drugs. Because you may have side effects from your treatment, you should get this medicine in a clinic or hospital with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who are trained to give cancer drugs.

ABRAXANE therapy should not be given to patients with metastatic breast cancer who have low blood counts. Low blood counts, especially low white blood cell counts, may make you more likely to get an infection. In order to check for low blood counts your doctor may need to take some blood to test your blood counts.

Note: ABRAXANE is paclitaxel made with the human blood protein albumin. This makes it behave differently in the body than regular paclitaxel. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR OR WITH OTHER PACLITAXEL DRUGS.

Important Safety Information

One of the more important side effects associated with chemotherapy is neutropenia, which is a decrease in the number of infection-fighting white blood cells (neutrophils). Normal levels range from approximately 1,500 cells/mm3 to 1,800 cells/mm3 (but vary according to several factors, such as age and race). If levels fall below 500 cells/mm3, your risk of developing an infection increases and treatment may be interrupted. To avoid the risk of serious infection and fever, your doctor will monitor your absolute neutrophil count (ANC) during therapy.

Women should avoid becoming pregnant while being treated with ABRAXANE. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, if you become pregnant, or you plan to become pregnant while taking ABRAXANE. Discuss with your doctor how ABRAXANE may affect fertility. Nursing a baby while taking ABRAXANE is not recommended because the drug may be present in breast milk

The most important adverse events included lower white and red blood cell counts, infections, tingling and numbness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle and joint aches, and mouth sores. Other adverse reactions included weakness, visual disturbances, fluid retention, hair loss, and liver and kidney dysfunction. Low platelet counts, allergic reactions (which in rare cases were severe), cardiovascular reactions, and injection site reactions were uncommon.

Sensory neuropathy (numbness, tingling, or burning in the hands and feet) can occur with ABRAXANE and other paclitaxel medications. Severe sensory neuropathy can improve with proper management, as prescribed by your doctor. You should tell your nurse or doctor if you experience numbness, tingling, or burning in your hands or feet while taking ABRAXANE.

Please talk to your doctor or nurse if you have questions regarding the potential side effects of ABRAXANE therapy. You may want to review the Product Information, including Warnings, Precautions, and Contraindications.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

1. ABRAXANE [prescribing information]. Los Angeles, Calif: Abraxis Oncology, a Division of Abraxis BioScience, LLC; August 2007.

The information on this site is intended for US residents only.

©2008 Abraxis BioScience, LLC.
and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP.
All Rights Reserved. AO 853/261222  4/08

ABRAXANE is marketed under a
co-promotion agreement between
Abraxis BioScience, LLC. and AstraZeneca.

Abraxis
AstraZeneca

Abraxis Oncology is a division of Abraxis
BioScience, LLC. All Abraxis BioScience,
LLC. corporate names, names of services,
and names of products referred to herein
are trade names, service marks, and/or
trademarks that are owned by or licensed
to Abraxis BioScience, its divisions or its
affiliates, unless otherwise noted.

Important Safety Information & Boxed Warning

You should receive ABRAXANE for Injectable Suspension (paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension) under the care of a doctor who is trained to use cancer drugs. Because you may have side effects from your treatment, you should get this medicine in a clinic or hospital with doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who are trained to give cancer drugs.

ABRAXANE therapy should not be given to patients with metastatic breast cancer who have low blood counts. Low blood counts, especially low white blood cell counts, may make you more likely to get an infection. In order to check for low blood counts your doctor may need to take some blood to test your blood counts.

Note: ABRAXANE is paclitaxel made with the human blood protein albumin. This makes it behave differently in the body than regular paclitaxel. DO NOT SUBSTITUTE FOR OR WITH OTHER PACLITAXEL DRUGS.

Important Safety Information

One of the more important side effects associated with chemotherapy is neutropenia, which is a decrease in the number of infection-fighting white blood cells (neutrophils). Normal levels range from approximately 1,500 cells/mm3 to 1,800 cells/mm3 (but vary according to several factors, such as age and race). If levels fall below 500 cells/mm3, your risk of developing an infection increases and treatment may be interrupted. To avoid the risk of serious infection and fever, your doctor will monitor your absolute neutrophil count (ANC) during therapy.

Women should avoid becoming pregnant while being treated with ABRAXANE. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, if you become pregnant, or you plan to become pregnant while taking ABRAXANE. Discuss with your doctor how ABRAXANE may affect fertility. Nursing a baby while taking ABRAXANE is not recommended because the drug may be present in breast milk

The most important adverse events included lower white and red blood cell counts, infections, tingling and numbness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle and joint aches, and mouth sores. Other adverse reactions included weakness, visual disturbances, fluid retention, hair loss, and liver and kidney dysfunction. Low platelet counts, allergic reactions (which in rare cases were severe), cardiovascular reactions, and injection site reactions were uncommon.

Sensory neuropathy (numbness, tingling, or burning in the hands and feet) can occur with ABRAXANE and other paclitaxel medications. Severe sensory neuropathy can improve with proper management, as prescribed by your doctor. You should tell your nurse or doctor if you experience numbness, tingling, or burning in your hands or feet while taking ABRAXANE.

Please talk to your doctor or nurse if you have questions regarding the potential side effects of ABRAXANE therapy. You may want to review the Product Information, including Warnings, Precautions, and Contraindications.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

The information on this site is intended for US residents only.

©2008 Abraxis BioScience, LLC. and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP. All Rights Reserved. AO 853/261222  4/08
(Site updated 2/07)

ABRAXANE is marketed under a co-promotion agreement between Abraxis BioScience, LLC. and AstraZeneca.

Abraxis
AstraZeneca

Abraxis Oncology is a division of Abraxis BioScience, LLC. All Abraxis BioScience, LLC. corporate names, names of services, and names of products referred to herein are trade names, service marks, and/or trademarks that are owned by or licensed to Abraxis BioScience, its divisions or its affiliates, unless otherwise noted.