Lapatinib Ditosylate

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(luh-PA-tih-nib dy-TOH-sih-layt)

Lapatinib ditosylate works by blocking the activity of HER2, a protein found in high levels on some cancer cells and causes them to grow. This may slow or stop the growth of cells that have a lot of HER2. Lapatinib ditosylate is a type of targeted therapy drug called a kinase inhibitor. It is a small-molecule drug (a drug that can enter cells easily).

US Brand Name(s)

Tykerb

FDA Approved

Yes

FDA label information for this drug is available at DailyMed.

Use in Cancer

Lapatinib ditosylate is approved to be used with other drugs to treat:

Breast cancer that is advanced or has metastasized (spread to other parts of the body). It is used with:
- capecitabine in women with HER2 positive (HER2+) breast cancer whose disease was treated with an anthracycline, a taxane, and trastuzumab
- letrozole in postmenopausal women with HER2+ and hormone receptor–positive (HR+) breast cancer who need hormone therapy

Lapatinib ditosylate is also being studied in the treatment of other types of cancer.

More About Lapatinib Ditosylate

Definition from the NCI Drug Dictionary - Detailed scientific definition and other names for this drug.

MedlinePlus Information on Lapatinib Ditosylate - A lay language summary of important information about this drug that may include the following:

warnings about this drug,
what this drug is used for and how it is used,
what you should tell your doctor before using this drug,
what you should know about this drug before using it,
other drugs that may interact with this drug, and
possible side effects.

Drugs are often studied to find out if they can help treat or prevent conditions other than the ones they are approved for. This patient information sheet applies only to approved uses of the drug. However, much of the information may also apply to unapproved uses that are being studied.

Research Results and Related Resources

Targeted Therapy to Treat Cancer

Clinical Trials Accepting Patients

Find Clinical Trials for Lapatinib Ditosylate - Check for trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials now accepting patients.