Atezolizumab

Generic name: Atezolizumab
Brand names: Tecentriq
Dosage form: intravenous (infusion) injection
Drug class: Anti-PD-1 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (immune checkpoint inhibitors)

Usage of Atezolizumab

Atezolizumab is a type of immunotherapy drug that helps the body's immune system to track down and fight cancer. It is a monoclonal antibody that works by blocking a protein called programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). It is part of a group of drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors, which help to extend the amount of time a person can live with cancer or life without their cancer getting worse.

Atezolizumab. was first approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2016.

Atezolizumab side effects

Atezolizumab can cause serious side effects, including:

  • See "Important information" above.

    • The most common side effects of atezolizumab when used alone include:

  • feeling tired or weak
  • decreased appetite
  • nausea
  • cough
  • shortness of breath

    • The most common side effects of atezolizumab when used in lung cancer with other anti-cancer medicines include:

  • feeling tired or weak
  • nausea
  • hair loss
  • constipation
  • diarrhea
  • decreased appetite

    • The most common side effects of atezolizumab when used in hepatocellular carcinoma with bevacizumab include:

  • high blood pressure
  • feeling tired or weak
  • too much protein in the urine

    • The most common side effects of atezolizumab when used in melanoma with cobimetinib and vemurafenib include:

  • skin rash
  • joint, muscle, or bone pain
  • feeling tired or weak
  • liver injury
  • fever
  • nausea
  • itching
  • swelling of legs or arms
  • mouth swelling (sometimes with sores)
  • low thyroid hormone levels
  • sunburn or sun sensitivity

    • Atezolizumab may cause fertility problems in females, which may affect the ability to have children. Talk to your healthcare provider if you have concerns about fertility.

    These are not all the possible side effects of atezolizumab.

    Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

    Before taking Atezolizumab

    Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. atezolizumab can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment with atezolizumab.

    Females who are able to become pregnant:

  • Your healthcare provider should do a pregnancy test before you start treatment with atezolizumab.
  • You should use an effective method of birth control during your treatment and for at least 5 months after the last dose of atezolizumab.

    • Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if atezolizumab passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for at least 5 months after the last dose of atezolizumab.

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    How to use Atezolizumab

  • Urothelial Carcinoma. Administer atezolizumab as a single agent as 840 mg every 2 weeks, 1200 mg every 3 weeks, or 1680 mg every 4 weeks.
  • NSCLC. In the adjuvant setting, administer atezolizumab following resection and up to 4 cycles of platinum-based chemotherapy as 840 mg every 2 weeks, 1200 mg every 3 weeks or 1680 mg every 4 weeks for up to 1 year. In the metastatic setting, administer atezolizumab as 840 mg every 2 weeks, 1200 mg every 3 weeks, or 1680 mg every 4 weeks. When administering with chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab, administer atezolizumab prior to chemotherapy and bevacizumab when given on the same day.
  • Small Cell Lung Cancer. Administer atezolizumab as 840 mg every 2 weeks, 1200 mg every 3 weeks, or 1680 mg every 4 weeks. When administering with carboplatin and etoposide, administer atezolizumab prior to chemotherapy when given on the same day.
  • Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Administer atezolizumab as 840 mg every 2 weeks, 1200 mg every 3 weeks, or 1680 mg every 4 weeks. Administer TECENTRIQ prior to bevacizumab when given on the same day. Bevacizumab is administered at 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks.
  • Melanoma. Following completion of a 28 day cycle of cobimetinib and vemurafenib, administer atezolizumab 840 mg every 2 weeks, 1200 mg every 3 weeks, or 1680 mg every 4 weeks with cobimetinib 60 mg orally once daily (21 days on /7 days off) and vemurafenib 720 mg orally twice daily.

    • Warnings

    Atezolizumab is a medicine that may treat certain cancers by working with your immune system. Atezolizumab can cause your immune system to attack normal organs and tissues in any area of your body and can affect the way they work. These problems can sometimes become severe or life-threatening and can lead to death. You can have more than one of these problems at the same time. These problems may happen anytime during your treatment or even after your treatment has ended.

    Call or see your healthcare provider right away if you develop any new or worse signs or symptoms, including:

  • Lung problems.
  • cough
  • shortness of breath
  • chest pain
  • Intestinal problems.
  • diarrhea (loose stools) or more frequent bowel movements than usual
  • stools that are black, tarry, sticky, or have blood or mucus
  • severe stomach-area (abdomen) pain or tenderness
  • Liver problems.
  • yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes
  • severe nausea or vomiting
  • pain on the right side of your stomach area (abdomen)
  • dark urine (tea colored)
  • bleeding or bruising more easily than normal
  • Hormone gland problems.
  • headaches that will not go away or unusual headaches
  • eye sensitivity to light
  • eye problems
  • rapid heart beat
  • increased sweating
  • extreme tiredness
  • weight gain or weight loss
  • feeling more hungry or thirsty than usual
  • urinating more often than usual
  • hair loss
  • feeling cold
  • constipation
  • your voice gets deeper
  • dizziness or fainting
  • changes in mood or behavior, such as decreased sex drive, irritability, or forgetfulness
  • Kidney problems.
  • decrease in your amount of urine
  • blood in your urine
  • swelling of your ankles
  • loss of appetite
  • Skin problems.
  • rash
  • itching
  • skin blistering or peeling
  • painful sores or ulcers in mouth or nose, throat, or genital area
  • fever or flu-like symptoms
  • swollen lymph nodes
  • Problems can also happen in other organs. These are not all of the signs and symptoms of immune system problems that can happen with atezolizumab. Call or see your healthcare provider right away for any new or worse signs or symptoms, including:
  • chest pain, irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath, or swelling of ankles
  • confusion, sleepiness, memory problems, changes in mood or behavior, stiff neck, balance problems, tingling or numbness of the arms or legs
  • double vision, blurry vision, sensitivity to light, eye pain, changes in eye sight
  • persistent or severe muscle pain or weakness, muscle cramps
  • low red blood cells, bruising
  • Infusion reactions that can sometimes be severe or life-threatening. Signs and symptoms of infusion reactions may include:
  • chills or shaking
  • itching or rash
  • flushing
  • shortness of breath or wheezing
  • dizziness
  • feeling like passing out
  • fever
  • back or neck pain
  • Complications, including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), in people who have received a bone marrow (stem cell) transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic). These complications can be serious and can lead to death. These complications may happen if you underwent transplantation either before or after being treated with atezolizumab. Your healthcare provider will monitor you for these complications.

    • Getting medical treatment right away may help keep these problems from becoming more serious.

    Your healthcare provider will check you for these problems during your treatment with atezolizumab. Your healthcare provider may treat you with corticosteroid or hormone replacement medicines. Your healthcare provider may also need to delay or completely stop treatment with atezolizumab if you have severe side effects.

    What other drugs will affect Atezolizumab

    Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

    Popular FAQ

    Tecentriq treatment costs around $14,540 per month depending on the dosage schedule (every 2, 3 or 4 weeks). Doses in children 2 years and older with alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) are weight-based but could cost up to $10,380 every 3 weeks at the maximum dose. Continue reading

    Atezolizumab (brand name: Tecentriq) is a type of immunotherapy drug called an “immune checkpoint inhibitor”. It helps to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight certain types cancer, including lung, liver and skin cancer. Continue reading

    Atezolizumab (Tecentriq) is approved to treat several different types of cancer. Cancer treatment is always individualized for each patient. It’s effectiveness and your length of response will depend upon your diagnosis, previous treatments, and other medical conditions, among other factors. Continue reading

    Hair loss (alopecia) is listed as a common side effect with atezolizumab (Tecentriq) when used with certain other cancer treatments. Hair loss was not reported as a side effect when used as a single agent for urothelial (bladder) cancer treatment (but Tecentriq is no longer FDA-approved to be used in bladder cancer). Continue reading

    Atezolizumab (Tecentriq) is given by a slow intravenous (IV) infusion into your vein, usually once every 2, 3 or 4 weeks. Your initial infusion typically lasts for 60 minutes, and infusions after this may be reduced to 30 minutes, based on your tolerability. Continue reading

    Tecentriq (atezolizumab) is an immune checkpoint inhibitor used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), heptatocellular (liver) carcinoma (HCC), melanoma (skin cancer), and alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS), a rare soft tissue tumor. Continue reading

    Tecentriq treatment costs around $14,540 per month depending on the dosage schedule (every 2, 3 or 4 weeks). Doses in children 2 years and older with alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) are weight-based but could cost up to $10,380 every 3 weeks at the maximum dose. Continue reading

    Atezolizumab (brand name: Tecentriq) is a type of immunotherapy drug called an “immune checkpoint inhibitor”. It helps to stimulate the body’s immune system to fight certain types cancer, including lung, liver and skin cancer. Continue reading

    Atezolizumab (Tecentriq) is approved to treat several different types of cancer. Cancer treatment is always individualized for each patient. It’s effectiveness and your length of response will depend upon your diagnosis, previous treatments, and other medical conditions, among other factors. Continue reading

    Hair loss (alopecia) is listed as a common side effect with atezolizumab (Tecentriq) when used with certain other cancer treatments. Hair loss was not reported as a side effect when used as a single agent for urothelial (bladder) cancer treatment (but Tecentriq is no longer FDA-approved to be used in bladder cancer). Continue reading

    Atezolizumab (Tecentriq) is given by a slow intravenous (IV) infusion into your vein, usually once every 2, 3 or 4 weeks. Your initial infusion typically lasts for 60 minutes, and infusions after this may be reduced to 30 minutes, based on your tolerability. Continue reading

    Tecentriq (atezolizumab) is an immune checkpoint inhibitor used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), heptatocellular (liver) carcinoma (HCC), melanoma (skin cancer), and alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS), a rare soft tissue tumor. Continue reading

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