Tecentriq (atezolizumab)
Tecentriq (atezolizumab) is a medication used for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, and for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Disease Indications
Urothelial Carcinoma, Lung Cancer
Manufacturer
Roche Registration Limited
Usage
Intravenous
Medicine approved by
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European Medical Agency (EMA)
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Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
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Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
Patients helped
- Over 1 million patients reached
- Over 11,000 patients helped
- 6,000 medicines supplied
- 100% success delivering to people in 75 countries
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We are registered with the Dutch Ministry of Health in The Hague, as an intermediary, registration number: 6730 BEM and as a wholesale distributor, registration number: 16258 G.
Package
Single vial
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What is Tecentriq (atezolizumab) for?
Tecentriq (atezolizumab) is a programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocking antibody indicated for the treatment of patients with:
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locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who have either; disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy, or within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy1 or are not eligible for cisplatin chemotherapy4.
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metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose disease progressed during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy1,5.
How does Tecentriq (atezolizumab) work?
Tecentriq (atezolizumab) belongs to a class of immunotherapy drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors.
The drug prevents a protein called PD-L1 that is found on some tumour cells from binding to another protein, PD-1, on immune cells. The binding of these “checkpoint” proteins suppresses the immune response2. Tecentriq (atezolizumab) is a monoclonal antibody that binds to PD-L1 and blocks its interactions with both PD-1 and B7.1 receptors1. By blocking this interaction, checkpoint inhibitors “release the brakes” on the immune system, allowing immune cells to attack tumours2.
Is Tecentriq (atezolizumab) approved?
Tecentriq (atezolizumab) was approved by:
- Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) (USA)
- on May 18, 2016, for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, with disease progression on or after prior chemotherapy2. On April 17, 2017, the FDA extended the approval to the use of Tecentriq (atezolizumab) as front-line treatment for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in patients who are not eligible for cisplatin chemotherapy4.
- on October 18, 2016, for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)3.
- Health Canada on April 12, 2017
- for locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma, with disease progression on or after prior chemotherapy8.
- for the first-line treatment of adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) in combination with carboplatin and etoposide8.
- for the first-line treatment of adult patients with metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in combination with bevacizumab, paclitaxel and carboplatin8.
- for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy8.
- Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) (AUS)
- on July 27, 2017, for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)5.
- European Medicines Agency (EMA) (EU)
- on September 22, 2017, for locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell cancer (NSCLC) and metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) on patients who have been previously treated with a platinum-based chemotherapy and as front-line treatment for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma in patients who are not eligible for cisplatin chemotherapy6.
How do I take Tecentriq (atezolizumab)?
Complete information about Tecentriq (atezolizumab) dosage and administration can be found in the references section1,5,7.
The recommended therapy consists of:
- 1200 mg as an intravenous infusion over 60 minutes every 3 weeks.
- Dilute prior to intravenous infusion.
Consult your treating doctor for personalised dosing.
Are there any known side effects of Tecentriq (atezolizumab)?
The most common side effects (≥ 20%) in patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma were fatigue, decreased appetite, nausea, constipation, urinary tract infection, diarrhea, and fever. The most common adverse reactions (≥ 20%) in patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer were fatigue, decreased appetite, dyspnea, cough, nausea, musculoskeletal pain, and constipation1.
For a comprehensive list of side effects and adverse reactions please refer to the official prescribing information1,5,7.
References
1. Summary of Product Characteristics [FDA]: Tecentriq (atezolizumab) [PDF]
Genentech, Apr 2017.
2. National Cancer Institute. FDA approves new immunotherapy drug for bladder cancer
NIH
3. Approved Drugs: Atezolizumab (Tecentriq)
FDA, Oct 2016
4. FDA Grants Genentech’s Tecentriq (atezolizumab) Accelerated Approval as Initial Treatment for Certain People with Advanced Bladder Cancer
Drugs.com, April 2017
5. Summary of Product Characteristics [TGA]: Tecentriq (atezolizumab)
Roche, July 2017.
6. Roche receives EU approval of TECENTRIQ® (atezolizumab) in a specific type of metastatic lung cancer and two types of metastatic bladder cancer
Roche Media Release, Sept 2017.
7. Summary of Product Characteristics [EMA]: Tecentriq (atezolizumab) [PDF]
Roche, Jan 2018.
8. Summary of Product Characteristics [Health Canada]: Tecentriq (atezolizumab) [PDF]
Hoffmann-La Roche, Apr 2017.
Four steps to access the medicines you need
How and where to buy Tecentriq (atezolizumab): You can order Tecentriq (atezolizumab) from TheSocialMedwork if the drug has not been approved or is not available in your country.
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Step 1
You send a request for your medicine online
Submit a request for a specific medicine, or a general request, and your Patient Support Manager will contact you within 24 hours. They will be there to support and guide you in anyway possible to help you get the medicine you need.
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Step 2
We verify your prescription and medical details
Since we help patients access medicines not available in their home country, our first step is to check that the medicine you need is not currently available in your home country. Next we will also verify that you have a prescription from a doctor in your home country for the medicine you need.
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Step 3
We source your medicine
Once we have verified your prescription and medical details, our expert sourcing team will work with our global network of suppliers to find you the best price. Once we have found you the lowest possible cost for your medicine, we will present you with a final offer for your approval.
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Step 4
We deliver your medicine
After you have accepted our offer, our experienced logistics team will arrange all the shipping and transportation of your medicine. We will work hard to keep you informed at every step along the way and get your medicine to you quickly and safely. To date we have successfully delivered packages to over 75 countries around the world.
The efficacy of Tecentriq (atezolizumab) on urothelial carcinoma was investigated in a study that involved 310 patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who had disease progression during or following a platinum-containing chemotherapy regimen or who had disease progression within 12 months of treatment with a platinum-containing neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy regimen1. Approximately 15% of patients responded to the treatment, and this effect lasted from at least 2.1 months to more than 13.8 months. The most common side effects of treatment with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) were fatigue, decreased appetite, nausea, urinary tract infection, fever, and constipation. The therapy also may cause infection and serious immune system-related side effects2.
The FDA also approved a test, called Ventana PD-L1 (SP142), to measure PD-L1 expression on patients’ tumour-infiltrating immune cells. In the trial, increased PD-L1 expression in patients’ tumours was associated with response to Tecentriq (atezolizumab). Among the trial participants whose tumours were classified as “positive” for PD-L1 expression, 26% experienced a tumour response, compared with 9.5 % of the participants whose tumours were “negative” for PD-L1 expression. However, the result of the test should not be considered as binding as patients whose tumours are classified as negative for PD-L1 expression might still respond to the therapy2.
The main efficacy outcome of the study OAK (GO28915) was the overall survival (OS) in a population of 850 patients. The median OS was 13.8 months (95% CI: 11.8, 15.7) in the group treated with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) and 9.6 months (95% CI: 8.6, 11.2) in the group treated with docetaxel. After 18 months 40% of the patients treated with Tecentriq (atezolizumab)were still alive versus 27% of those treated with docetaxel1,5. The main efficacy outcome of the study POLAR (GO28753) was the OS in a population of 287 patients. The median OS was 12.6 months (95 % CI: 9.7, 16.4) in the group treated with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) and 9.7 months (95% CI: 8.6, 12) in the group treated with docetaxel1,5.
References
1. Summary of Product Characteristics [FDA]: Tecentriq (atezolizumab) [PDF]
Genentech, Apr 2017.
2. National Cancer Institute. FDA approves new immunotherapy drug for bladder cancer
NIH
5. Summary of Product Characteristics [TGA]: Tecentriq (atezolizumab)
Roche, July 2017.
Cold chain shipping
Some medicinal ingredients are susceptible to damage from heat, light and handling. Using "cold chain" delivery, specialised medical couriers have temperature regulated boxes and vehicles to ensure that the medicine is uncompromised. For that reason, cold chain shipping can be more expensive than regular shipping. For more details, please see our article on cold chain delivery.
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Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Medicine information contained herein may be time sensitive. The absence of a warning for a given medicine or combination thereof in no way should be construed to indicate that the medicine or combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Always consult your treating physician before starting a course of treatment.
