Date: 04 April 2014

Description: A Direct Healthcare Professional Communication (DHPC) has been issued to inform healthcare professionals of comparative data showing that lapatinib-based regimens are less effective than trastuzumab-based regimens in certain settings. Tykerb^®, a kinase inhibitor, is indicated in combination with capecitabine for the treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic breast cancer whose tumours overexpress HER2 and who have received prior therapy including an anthracycline, a taxane, and trastuzumab. Prescribers are reminded that Tykerb^® should not be prescribed in combination with capecitabine unless patients have received prior therapy that must have included anthracyclines and taxanes and therapy with trastuzumab in the metastatic setting. Please refer to the DHPC for more details.