Introduction
Abemaciclib (trade name EU: Verzenios, U.S.: Verzenio) has been approved in Germany since September 2018 for the treatment of advanced hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in women if the cancer has already spread to other parts of the body or is locally advanced. It is used as a part of antihormonal therapy in combination with an aromatase inhibitor or the anti-estrogen drug fulvestrant.
Breast tumors are surgically removed, if possible. But sometimes the tumor has already become too large or the cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastasis) through the blood or lymphatic system. This is called advanced breast cancer.
One factor affecting the speed at which breast cancer cells spread is whether they have receptors for such as estrogen or progesterone. If they do, it is called hormone-receptor-positive (HR-positive) cancer. In these tumors, such as estrogen or progesterone accelerate the growth of cancer cells.
A certain protein on the surface of the cancer cells, called the HER2 receptor (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), also reacts to growth signals and accelerates tumor growth. If there are a smaller number of these receptors on the cells of a breast tumor, it is called HER2-negative breast cancer. HER2-negative breast cancer grows relatively slowly. Abemaciclib isn't an option for women whose cancer cells carry the HER2 receptor (HER2-positive breast cancer).
Abemaciclib inhibits cell division in the cancer cells, slowing down tumor growth.