Poherdy (Pertuzumab-Dpzb) for Breast Cancer

Poherdy (pertuzumab-dpzb) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat adults with HER2-positive breast cancer.

How Poherdy Works and How It’s Taken

Poherdy is a type of HER2-targeted medicine. HER2 is a protein that can help some breast cancer cells grow. Poherdy blocks HER2 from connecting with other related HER proteins.

This can help stop cancer cell growth and may lead to cancer cell death. Poherdy may also help the immune system attack cancer cells.

Poherdy is a biosimilar of Perjeta. This means it is made from living cells and is designed to work like the original medicine. The FDA requires biosimilars to have no meaningful differences in safety or how well they work.

Doctors prescribe Poherdy when treating certain adults with HER2-positive breast cancer. The exact use depends on the stage of cancer and the treatment plan. Poherdy may be used:

With trastuzumab and docetaxel for HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer in adults who have not received prior anti-HER2 treatment or chemotherapy for metastatic disease
With trastuzumab and chemotherapy before surgery for HER2-positive locally advanced, inflammatory, or early-stage breast cancer as part of a complete treatment plan
With trastuzumab and chemotherapy after surgery for HER2-positive early-stage breast cancer at high risk of coming back

Poherdy is given as an intravenous (IV) infusion, usually once every three weeks, with trastuzumab and chemotherapy given as part of the treatment plan.

For early-stage disease, treatment may continue before and after surgery to complete up to one year of therapy. For metastatic disease, treatment is generally continued on the every-three-week schedule as long as it is helping and side effects are manageable.

Typical Dosing for Breast Cancer

The recommended starting dose of Poherdy for breast cancer is 840 milligrams given by IV infusion, followed every three weeks by 420 milligrams by IV infusion.

For early-stage breast cancer, Poherdy is used with trastuzumab and chemotherapy as part of treatment before surgery, after surgery, or both, depending on the treatment plan. In early-stage disease, treatment usually continues for up to one year, or up to 18 cycles. For metastatic breast cancer, Poherdy is used with trastuzumab and docetaxel on the same every-three-week schedule.

Doctors may pause treatment, delay the next dose, slow an infusion, or stop treatment if side effects are serious or too hard to manage.

This information is based on the prescribing information, but your healthcare provider may tailor your treatment plan. Always follow their guidance.

Poherdy Side Effects

In clinical trials of Poherdy or pertuzumab used with other cancer medications for adults with HER2-positive breast cancer, the most common side effects were those reported in more than 30 percent of people. The side effects depended on the treatment setting and which medicines were given with Poherdy.

For metastatic breast cancer, when pertuzumab was used with trastuzumab and docetaxel, the most common side effects were:

Diarrhea
Alopecia (hair loss)
Neutropenia (low neutrophil counts)
Nausea
Fatigue
Rash
Peripheral neuropathy (numbness, tingling, or pain in the hands or feet)

For treatment before surgery, also called neoadjuvant treatment, the most common side effects varied by treatment regimen. They included:

Alopecia
Diarrhea
Nausea
Neutropenia
Fatigue
Vomiting
Thrombocytopenia (low platelet counts)
Anemia (low red blood cell counts)
Constipation
Peripheral neuropathy
Headache
Asthenia (weakness)
Mucosal inflammation (inflammation or soreness in the mouth or throat)
Myalgia (muscle pain)

For treatment after surgery, also called adjuvant treatment, when pertuzumab was used with trastuzumab and chemotherapy, the most common side effects were:

Diarrhea
Nausea
Alopecia
Fatigue
Peripheral neuropathy
Vomiting

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

Poherdy can cause serious side effects that may require immediate medical attention. These include:

Left ventricular dysfunction — Decreased heart function and heart failure can occur.
Embryo-fetal toxicity — Exposure during pregnancy can cause birth defects or loss of the pregnancy.
Serious infusion-related reactions — Serious reactions can occur during or after an infusion.
Severe allergic reactions — These can include anaphylaxis and angioedema.
Hypersensitivity — Do not take Poherdy if you are allergic to pertuzumab products or any ingredient in Poherdy.

Get medical help right away if you think you are having a serious reaction.

What To Know Before Taking Poherdy

Before starting Poherdy, your doctor will test or check:

Your heart function with a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) test
Your pregnancy status if you can become pregnant
Whether your tumor is HER2-positive using an FDA-approved breast cancer test

Tell your doctor if you have any allergies to Poherdy or any of its ingredients.

Tell your doctor about all medicines you take, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and supplements.

Do not receive Poherdy if you have had a serious allergic reaction to pertuzumab products or any of its ingredients.

If you miss a dose, contact your doctor as soon as possible. If it has been less than six weeks since your last dose, Poherdy should be given as soon as possible. If it has been six weeks or more, you will need the starting dose again before going back to the every-three-week schedule.

Poherdy can harm your baby if you are pregnant. Your doctor should verify your pregnancy status before you start treatment. Females who can become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment and for seven months after the last dose of Poherdy given with trastuzumab.

It is not known whether Poherdy passes into human breast milk. Because Poherdy may stay in the body after treatment ends, consider the seven-month washout period before breastfeeding.

Community FAQs

These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.

How effective is Poherdy?

In adults with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, people who received pertuzumab with trastuzumab and docetaxel had a median progression-free survival of 18.5 months. This means half of the people went at least 18.5 months before the cancer got worse or they died. In the comparison group without pertuzumab, this was 12.4 months.

Median overall survival was 56.5 months with pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and docetaxel, compared with 40.8 months in the comparison group.

The objective response rate was 80.2 percent with pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and docetaxel, compared with 69.3 percent in the comparison group. Objective response rate means the cancer shrank or disappeared in response to treatment.

In HER2-positive early breast cancer, studies also showed higher pathologic complete response rates when pertuzumab was used before surgery. A pathologic complete response means no invasive cancer was found in the breast and lymph nodes after treatment.

In the adjuvant setting, which means treatment after surgery, the three-year invasive disease-free survival rate was 94.1 percent with pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and chemotherapy, compared with 93.2 percent with trastuzumab and chemotherapy.

What tests or monitoring are needed with Poherdy for breast cancer?

Heart function monitoring is important with Poherdy because it can cause left ventricular dysfunction, including heart failure. Left ventricular ejection fraction should be checked before starting treatment and at regular intervals during treatment. Pregnancy status should also be verified before starting Poherdy in females of reproductive potential.