Ontruzant

Ontruzant is a biosimilar medicine that is used to treat certain types of breast cancer and stomach cancer. It is manufactured by Samsung Bioepis and was approved for use in the European Union in January 2018.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Ontruzant contains the active substance trastuzumab, which is a monoclonal antibody. Monoclonal antibodies are proteins that have been designed to recognise and bind to specific structures in the body. Trastuzumab has been designed to attach to a protein called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), which can be found in large amounts on the surface of some cancer cells.

Uses[edit | edit source]

Ontruzant is used to treat adults with early breast cancer that is HER2 positive, and has spread into the surrounding tissue. It is also used to treat HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer and metastatic stomach cancer.

Administration[edit | edit source]

Ontruzant is given as an infusion (drip) into a vein. The first infusion is given over 90 minutes, and if it is well tolerated, subsequent infusions can be given over 30 minutes.

Side Effects[edit | edit source]

Like all medicines, Ontruzant can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. The most common side effects include fever, nausea, vomiting, infusion reactions, infection, increase in blood pressure, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, headache, rash, and fatigue.