Six new drug indications doctors and pharmacists need to know about

New indicationsBlincytoblinatumomab for injection, Amgen.NEW INDICATION Treatment of patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative CD19 positive B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in the consolidation phase of multiphase chemotherapy. (Also approved earlier for use in other B-cell precursor ALL situations; consult product monograph for details.)DOSAGE Consult product monograph for details on required premedication and blinatumomab dosing. Administered as a continuous IV infusion delivered at a constant flow rate using an infusion pump.Enhertutrastuzumab deruxtecan for injection, AstraZeneca.NEW INDICATION Monotherapy for the treatment of unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma in adults who have received a prior trastuzumab-based regimen. Issued marketing authorization with conditions, pending the results of trials to verify the drug’s clinical benefit. (Also approved earlier for use in patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer.)DOSAGE HER2-positive gastric or GEJ adenocarcinoma: 6.4 mg/kg by IV infusion every three weeks (21-day cycle) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs. Premedication required. Management of adverse reactions may require temporary interruption, dose reduction or treatment discontinuation; see product monograph for details.Imfinzidurvalumab for injection, AstraZeneca.NEW INDICATION Used in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel for the first-line treatment of primary advanced or recurrent mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) endometrial cancer in adults who are candidates for systemic therapy, followed by maintenance treatment with Imfinzi as monotherapy. (Also approved earlier for use in urothelial carcinoma, nonsmall cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, biliary tract cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma; see product monograph for details.)DOSAGE Advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer: durvalumab 1120 mg (in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel) every three weeks (21 days) for six cycles. This is followed by durvalumab 1500 mg every four weeks as monotherapy until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs. Administered as an IV infusion over 60 minutes.Keytrudapembrolizumab solution for infusion, Merck.NEW INDICATION Treatment of adults with resectable Stage II, IIIA, or IIIB (T3-4N2) nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in combination with platinum-containing chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment, and then continued as monotherapy as adjuvant treatment after surgery. (Also approved earlier for numerous other indications; consult product monograph for details.)DOSAGE Neoadjuvant treatment, in combination with chemotherapy, followed by adjuvant treatment for resectable NSCLC: 200 mg every three weeks or 400 mg every six weeks, administered as an IV infusion over 30 minutes. Patients should be treated with four doses of 200 mg or two doses of 400 mg of neoadjuvant pembrolizumab in combination with chemotherapy until disease progression that precludes definitive surgery or unacceptable toxicity occurs. This should be followed by adjuvant treatment with pembrolizumab as monotherapy for up to 13 doses of 200 mg or seven doses of 400 mg or until disease recurrence or unacceptable toxicity occurs. Administer pembrolizumab prior to chemotherapy when given on the same day.Trulanceplecanatide tablets, Bausch Health.NEW INDICATION Treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation in adults. (Originally indicated only for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation [IBS-C] in adults.)DOSAGE Chronic idiopathic constipation in adults: 3 mg once daily, with or without food. For adults with swallowing difficulties, the tablet can be crushed and administered orally in applesauce or with water, or administered with water via a nasogastric or gastric feeding tube. Use immediately; do not store the mixture for later use.Weliregbelzutifan tablets, Merck.NEW INDICATION Treatment of adults with advanced renal cell carcinoma, following a programmed death receptor-1 or programmed death-ligand 1 inhibitor and a vascular endothelial growth factor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. (Originally indicated only for the treatment of adults with von Hippel-Lindau disease who require therapy for associated nonmetastatic renal cell carcinoma, central nervous system hemangioblastomas, or nonmetastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours, not requiring immediate surgery.)DOSAGE Advanced renal cell carcinoma: 120 mg (three 40 mg tablets) once daily, with or without food. Swallow tablets whole. Dose reductions, withholding or discontinuation may be required to manage adverse effects; consult product monograph for details.

Six new drug indications doctors and pharmacists need to know about

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