Trazimera (Trastuzumab-Qyyp) for Breast Cancer

Trazimera (trastuzumab-qyyp) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat adults with breast cancer.

How Trazimera Works and How It’s Taken

Trazimera is a type of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) targeted medicine. It attaches to the HER2 protein on some breast cancer cells, which can slow or stop those cells from growing. It can also help the immune system find and attack HER2-positive cancer cells.

Trazimera is a biosimilar of Herceptin. 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 Trazimera when certain adults need treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer. It may be used after surgery for early stage disease or for breast cancer that has spread, either with chemotherapy or by itself after prior treatment.

By targeting the HER2 pathway, Trazimera may help slow or stop cancer cell growth and support the immune system’s response to HER2-positive breast cancer cells.

Trazimera is given as an intravenous (into-the-vein) infusion. It is usually given once weekly or once every three weeks, depending on the treatment plan. For early stage disease after surgery, treatment usually lasts up to 52 weeks.

For cancer that has spread, treatment usually continues until the cancer gets worse or side effects become too much to tolerate.

Typical Dosing for Breast Cancer

For early stage breast cancer after surgery, the recommended dose depends on the treatment plan. Trazimera may start at 4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, followed by 2 milligrams per kilogram once a week during chemotherapy, and then 6 milligrams per kilogram once every three weeks to complete 52 weeks of treatment. When used alone after anthracycline-based treatment, it starts at 8 milligrams per kilogram, followed by 6 milligrams per kilogram once every three weeks.

For breast cancer that has spread, the recommended starting dose is 4 milligrams per kilogram, followed by 2 milligrams per kilogram once a week, either alone or with paclitaxel. Treatment usually continues until the cancer gets worse or side effects become unacceptable.

Doctors may pause treatment, slow the infusion, delay the next dose, 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.

Trazimera Side Effects

In clinical trials of Trazimera for breast cancer, the most common side effects occurred in about 2 percent to 56 percent of people. These included:

Headache
Diarrhea
Nausea
Chills
Fever
Infection
Congestive heart failure
Insomnia (trouble sleeping)
Cough
Rash

Serious Side Effects and Warnings

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

Cardiomyopathy — Heart muscle weakness can lead to heart failure, abnormal heart rhythms, high blood pressure, or, rarely, death.
Infusion reactions — Serious reactions during or within 24 hours of an infusion can include trouble breathing, low blood pressure, swelling of the face or throat, or severe allergic reactions.
Embryo-fetal toxicity — Trazimera can harm your fetus if you are pregnant, including low amniotic fluid and serious complications.
Pulmonary toxicity — Serious lung problems can include inflammation in the lungs, fluid in or around the lungs, or acute respiratory distress.
Severe neutropenia and febrile neutropenia — Very low white blood cell counts, sometimes with fever, can raise the risk of serious infection.

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

How To Save on Trazimera

Pfizer, the manufacturer of Trazimera, offers the Pfizer Oncology Together Co-Pay Savings Program for Injectables. Eligible individuals with commercial insurance may pay as little as $0 per Trazimera treatment.

The program also offers support for out-of-pocket drug costs, including copays and coinsurance. It is not available to individuals enrolled in state- or federally funded prescription insurance programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, Veterans Affairs healthcare, state prescription drug assistance programs, or Puerto Rico’s Government Health Insurance Plan.

To learn more, visit PfizerCoPay.com or call 877-744-5675.

What To Know Before Taking Trazimera

Before starting Trazimera, your doctor will check your heart function, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), your pregnancy status if you can become pregnant, and whether your tumor is HER2-positive using an FDA-approved test.

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

Trazimera is also FDA-approved to treat metastatic gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

If you miss a dose of Trazimera by one week or less, your usual maintenance dose should be given as soon as possible. If you miss a dose by more than one week, you may need a reloading dose as soon as possible.

Trazimera can harm your baby if you are pregnant. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If you can become pregnant, use effective birth control during treatment and for seven months after your last dose.

Talk with your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. There is no information about whether trastuzumab products pass into human milk. Your doctor will help you weigh the benefits and risks.

Community FAQs

These answers are fact-checked by our editorial staff.

How effective is Trazimera?

In studies of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer, trastuzumab improved outcomes in both early stage and metastatic disease. In early breast cancer after surgery, trastuzumab helped people live longer without the cancer coming back, a new cancer developing, or death. In one study, the relative risk of one of these events was about 46 percent lower with trastuzumab than with observation.

In metastatic breast cancer, people who received trastuzumab plus chemotherapy had a longer median time to disease progression, 7.2 months versus 4.5 months, and longer median overall survival, 25.1 months versus 20.3 months.

Can Trazimera be used with other medications for breast cancer?

Yes. For breast cancer, Trazimera may be used as part of a regimen with doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and either paclitaxel or docetaxel; with docetaxel and carboplatin; or with paclitaxel for first-line metastatic disease. It is commonly used in combination with another HER2-targeted agent, pertuzumab, for individuals with breast cancer.

Trazimera may also be used alone in some settings after other treatment, or after one or more chemotherapy regimens for metastatic breast cancer.

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

Heart function testing is needed before starting treatment and at regular intervals during treatment. LVEF should be checked before treatment, every three months during treatment and at completion, and every six months for at least two years after finishing adjuvant treatment. Pregnancy status should also be checked before starting treatment for people who can become pregnant.