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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT PHESGO

Get answers to frequently asked questions about PHESGO, use in both early and metastatic breast cancer, the treatment experience, and financial support.

FAQs about PHESGO

PHESGO is a prescription medicine approved for use in combination with chemotherapy for:

  • Use prior to surgery (neoadjuvant treatment) in adults with HER2+, locally advanced, inflammatory, or early stage breast cancer (tumor is greater than 2 cm in diameter or node-positive). PHESGO should be used as part of a complete treatment regimen for early breast cancer
  • Use after surgery (adjuvant treatment) in adults with HER2+ early breast cancer that has a high likelihood of coming back

PHESGO is also approved for use in combination with docetaxel in adults who have HER2+ breast cancer that has spread to different parts of the body (metastatic) and who have not received anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.

Learn more about HER2-positive breast cancer.

PERJETA and Herceptin are two HER2-targeted therapies that work together to treat HER2+ breast cancer. PERJETA and Herceptin are each infused separately, and are given in combination with chemotherapy.

PHESGO works in the same way as PERJETA and Herceptin to treat HER2+ breast cancer. The main difference is that PHESGO combines these medicines into one injection that is given in minutes, not hours. PHESGO also contains hyaluronidase, a protein that helps the body absorb the two medicines and allows them to be given as a single injection under the skin.

PHESGO is given with chemotherapy.

Learn more about PHESGO.

  • PHESGO may cause heart problems, including those without symptoms (such as reduced heart function) and those with symptoms (such as congestive heart failure)
  • Receiving PHESGO during pregnancy can result in the death of an unborn baby or birth defects
  • PHESGO may cause serious lung problems
  • Other possible serious and sometimes fatal side effects of PHESGO therapy include:
    • Worsening of low white blood cell counts caused by chemotherapy
    • Severe allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reactions/anaphylaxis) and administration-related reactions

Learn more about side effects.

The most common side effects of PHESGO when given with chemotherapy as part of an early breast cancer regimen are:

  • Hair loss
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Low levels of red blood cells
  • Weakness

The most common side effects of PHESGO when given with docetaxel to treat metastatic breast cancer are:

  • Diarrhea
  • Hair loss
  • Low levels of white blood cells with or without fever
  • Nausea
  • Feeling tired
  • Rash
  • Damage to the nerves (numbness, tingling, pain in hands/feet)

In a clinical study among patients who stopped chemotherapy and received PHESGO alone, side effects occurred in less than 10% of people, except for the following:

  • Skin radiation injury
  • Joint pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Injection site reaction
  • Indigestion (feelings of fullness, bloating, or pain in stomach)
  • Weakness or lack of energy
  • Hot flashes
  • Itching

Learn more about side effects.

PHESGO could make part of your treatment faster so that you may spend less time in the clinic. PHESGO is a single injection that is given under the skin of the thigh in about 5 minutes.* Learn more about PHESGO.

*The first dose is given in ~8 minutes. This does not account for observation time and other aspects of treatment. Actual clinic time may vary.

FAQs about PHESGO for early breast cancer

PHESGO is a prescription medicine approved for use in combination with chemotherapy for:

  • Use prior to surgery (neoadjuvant treatment) in adults with HER2+, locally advanced, inflammatory, or early stage breast cancer (tumor is greater than 2 cm in diameter or node-positive). PHESGO should be used as part of a complete treatment regimen for early breast cancer
  • Use after surgery (adjuvant treatment) in adults with HER2+ early breast cancer that has a high likelihood of coming back

Learn more about early breast cancer.

If you are receiving PHESGO for early breast cancer, treatment will be given every 3 weeks for a total of 1 year (up to 18 cycles) unless side effects become too difficult to manage or the cancer comes back.

You will also be given chemotherapy. The dosing schedule and number of cycles will depend on which type of chemotherapy your doctor has chosen for you.

Read more about the treatment schedule for early breast cancer.

The most serious side effects of PHESGO are that:

  • PHESGO may cause heart problems, including those without symptoms (such as reduced heart function) and those with symptoms (such as congestive heart failure)
  • Receiving PHESGO during pregnancy can result in the death of an unborn baby or birth defects
  • PHESGO may cause serious lung problems
  • Other possible serious and sometimes fatal side effects of PHESGO therapy include:
    • Worsening of low white blood cell counts caused by chemotherapy
    • Severe allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reactions/anaphylaxis) and administration-related reactions

The most common side effects of PHESGO when given with chemotherapy as part of an early breast cancer regimen are:

  • Hair loss
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Low levels of red blood cells
  • Weakness

Learn more about side effects.

FAQs about PHESGO for metastatic breast cancer

PHESGO is approved for use in combination with docetaxel in adults who have HER2+ breast cancer that has spread to different parts of the body (metastatic) and who have not received anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer. Learn more about metastatic breast cancer.

If you are receiving PHESGO for metastatic breast cancer, treatment will be given every 3 weeks until the cancer progresses or side effects become too difficult to manage. PHESGO will be given in combination with a chemotherapy called docetaxel. Docetaxel is given for a minimum of 6 cycles.

Read more about the treatment schedule for metastatic breast cancer.

 The most serious side effects of PHESGO are that: 

  • PHESGO may cause heart problems, including those without symptoms (such as reduced heart function) and those with symptoms (such as congestive heart failure)
  • Receiving PHESGO during pregnancy can result in the death of an unborn baby or birth defects
  • PHESGO may cause serious lung problems
  • Other possible serious and sometimes fatal side effects of PHESGO therapy include:
    • Worsening of low white blood cell counts caused by chemotherapy
    • Severe allergic reactions (hypersensitivity reactions/anaphylaxis) and administration-related reactions

The most common side effects of PHESGO when given with docetaxel to treat metastatic breast cancer are:

  • Diarrhea
  • Hair loss
  • Low levels of white blood cells with or without fever
  • Nausea
  • Feeling tired
  • Rash
  • Damage to the nerves (numbness, tingling, pain in hands/feet)

Learn more about side effects.

FAQs about PHESGO before and/or after surgery

For some people, it may be helpful to start PHESGO before having surgery. This is called neoadjuvant treatment. One of the goals of neoadjuvant treatment is to help reduce or get rid of cancer cells before surgery.

Treatment should then continue after surgery, which is called adjuvant treatment. The goal of adjuvant treatment is to kill any cancer cells left behind after surgery, to help keep you cancer free for as long as possible. See what a schedule for treatment before and after surgery could look like.

FAQs about resources & financial support

There may be options to help you pay for your Genentech medicine:

  • If you have commercial health insurance, you may be able to use a Genentech co-pay program or be referred to an independent co-pay assistance foundation
  • If you have public health insurance, you may be referred to an independent co-pay assistance foundation
  • If you are eligible and you do or do not have insurance, you may get help from the Genentech Patient Foundation

To find the financial support program that may be right for you, answer a few questions with the financial support tool, which will guide you through the application process and any next steps.

NEXT: GLOSSARY

Important Safety Information & Uses

What is PHESGO?

PHESGO is a prescription medicine approved for use in combination with chemotherapy for:

  • use prior to surgery (neoadjuvant treatment) in adults with HER2+, locally advanced, inflammatory, or early stage breast cancer (tumor is greater than 2 cm in diameter or node-positive). PHESGO should be used as part of a complete treatment regimen for early breast cancer.
  • use after surgery (adjuvant treatment) in adults with HER2+ early breast cancer that has a high likelihood of coming back.

PHESGO is also approved for use in combination with docetaxel in adults who have HER2+ breast cancer that has spread to different parts of the body (metastatic) and who have not received anti-HER2 therapy or chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer.

What are the most serious side effects of PHESGO?

Heart

PHESGO may cause heart problems, including those without symptoms (such as reduced heart function) and those with symptoms (such as congestive heart failure).

  • The risk for and seriousness of these heart problems are highest in people who received both PHESGO and a certain type of chemotherapy (anthracycline)
  • Your doctor will check for signs of heart problems before, during, and after treatment with PHESGO. Based on test results, your doctor may hold or discontinue treatment with PHESGO
  • Contact a healthcare professional immediately for any of the following: new onset or worsening shortness of breath, cough, swelling of the ankles/legs, swelling of the face, palpitations, weight gain of more than 5 pounds in 24 hours, dizziness or loss of consciousness
Pregnancy

Receiving PHESGO during pregnancy can result in the death of an unborn baby and birth defects.

  • Birth control should be used while receiving PHESGO and for 7 months after your last dose of PHESGO. If you are a mother who is breastfeeding, you should talk with your doctor about either stopping breastfeeding or stopping PHESGO
  • If you think you may be pregnant, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately
  • If you are exposed to PHESGO during pregnancy, or become pregnant while receiving PHESGO or within 7 months following the last dose of PHESGO, you are encouraged to report PHESGO exposure to Genentech at 1-888-835-2555
Lung

PHESGO may cause serious lung problems.

  • Your doctor may check for signs of lung problems including:
    • Severe shortness of breath
    • Fluid in or around the lungs
    • Weakening of the valve between the heart and the lungs
    • Not enough oxygen in the body
    • Swelling of the lungs
    • Scarring of the lungs

Who should not receive PHESGO?

Forbidden
  • PHESGO should not be used in patients who are allergic to pertuzumab, trastuzumab, hyaluronidase, or to any of the ingredients in PHESGO

What are other possible serious side effects?

White blood cells
  • PHESGO may worsen low white blood cell counts caused by chemotherapy: Low white blood cell counts can be life threatening and were seen more often in patients receiving Herceptin® (trastuzumab) plus chemotherapy than in patients receiving chemotherapy alone. Your doctor may check for signs of low white blood cell counts when he or she examines you
Administration
  • PHESGO may cause administration-related reactions: PHESGO is given as an injection. The active ingredients in PHESGO have been associated with severe administration reactions, including hypersensitivity or anaphylaxis, which can be fatal. Talk to your doctor if you feel any symptoms. The most common symptoms include dizziness, nausea, chills, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, hives, swelling of the skin, breathing problems, or chest pain

What are the most common side effects?

Caution

The most common side effects of PHESGO when given with chemotherapy as part of an early breast cancer regimen are:

  • Hair Loss
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Low levels of red blood cells
  • Weakness

The most common side effects of PHESGO when given with docetaxel for treatment of breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) are:

  • Diarrhea
  • Hair loss
  • Low levels of white blood cells with or without fever
  • Nausea
  • Feeling tired
  • Rash
  • Damage to the nerves (numbness, tingling, pain in hands/feet)

What should I know about side effects with PHESGO?

Question mark
  • Not all people have serious side effects; however, side effects with PHESGO therapy are common. It is important to know what side effects may happen and what symptoms you should watch for
  • Your doctor may stop treatment if serious side effects happen. Be sure to contact your healthcare team right away if you have questions or are worried about any side effects

You are encouraged to report side effects to Genentech and the FDA. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. You may also report side effects to Genentech at 1-888-835-2555.

Talk to a healthcare professional for more information about the benefits and risks of PHESGO. 

Please see full Prescribing Information for additional Important Safety Information, including most serious side effects.

If you cannot afford your medication, visit phesgo.com/financial-support for financial assistance information.