Liver warning for Tarceva expanded
This article was originally published in Scrip
Executive Summary
Genentechand OSI Pharmaceuticals have alerted US physicians to cases of hepatic failure and hepatorenal syndrome, including fatalities, associated with use of the anticancer Tarceva (erlotinib), particularly in patients with baseline hepatic impairment. Close monitoring of those with such impairment is advised. The EGFR-targeted drug is approved as a second-line treatment in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and in advanced pancreatic cancer, and is in trials in a number of other tumour types.