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How long do you take Alecensa for?

Medically reviewed by Melisa Puckey, BPharm. Last updated on Jan 24, 2024.

How long do you take Alecensa for and when do you stop taking it? What is the normal dose for Alecensa?

Official answer

by Drugs.com
  • The length of time that you take Alecensa for will depend on your response and how well you tolerate it. In the clinical trial ALEX: NCT02075840, the length of time Alecensa was taken ranged from months to over a year, with the median length of time being 18.6 months.
  • Alecensa treatment usually continues until there is disease progression or the patient has unacceptable side effects.
  • Alecensa is used to treat ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to other parts of the body.

How is Alecensa taken?

Alecensa is an oral tablet that is taken twice a day.

  • Usual starting dose is 600mg twice daily.
  • This dose can be reduced to 450mg twice daily or even 300mg twice daily if the patient is unable to tolerate side effects.
  • If side effects continue to be a problem at the lower dose of 300mg twice daily, then Alecensa should be discontinued.
References

Read next

Alecensa (alectinib) is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that works specifically on a protein called anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK protein). Tyrosine kinases (TK) help to determine processes such as growth, differentiation, metabolism, and cell death, and are involved in signaling pathways – these are pathways that control and regulate the flow of information between cells and their outside environment. Research has linked abnormal TK activity or mutations to various cancers – one of these is non-small cell lung cancer. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) mutations are present in approximately 5% of NSCLC cases, and by inhibiting this protein, Alecensa reduces the growth of ALK-positive metastatic NSCLC. Alecensa is only used in metastatic NSCLC that has been tested and confirmed to be ALK-positive. Continue reading

Generally, small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is worse than non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). SCLC accounts for about 10-15% of people who have lung cancer and is the most aggressive form of lung cancer. SCLC usually starts in the breathing tubes (bronchi), and although the cells are small, they grow very quickly and create large tumors. Early on in the course of the disease, there are rarely any symptoms. If caught early (limited-stage disease) 20-25% of people can be potentially cured. Extensive SCLC is more difficult to treat. Continue reading

A hereditary family history of lung cancer is one of the many risk factors for developing non-small cell lung cancer. About 8% of lung cancers are thought to be inherited or linked to gene changes, but smoking and air pollution remain the primary causes of lung cancer. Continue reading

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