Pronunciation: te-SEN-trik hye-BREEZE-uh
Generic name: atezolizumab and hyaluronidase 
Dosage form: injection for subcutaneous use
Drug class: Anti-PD-1 and PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (immune checkpoint inhibitors)

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Sep 23, 2024.

What is Tecentriq Hybreza?

Tecentriq Hybreza (atezolizumab and hyaluronidase-tqjs) is a subcutaneous formulation of Tecentriq that may be used to treat certain patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), small cell lung cancer (SCLC), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), melanoma, and alveolar soft part sarcoma.

Tecentriq Hybreza is an immunotherapy treatment and is not chemotherapy. It may also be called a targeted treatment. Tecentriq Hybreza is a monoclonal antibody that targets the PD-L1 protein, a protein that is often overexpressed on cancer cells and helps them evade the immune system. Tecentriq Hybreza’s mechanism of action is to bind to PD-L1 proteins on cancer cells, blocking their interaction with PD-1 receptors on T cells. This prevents the cancer cells from deactivating the immune system's T cells, allowing the T cells to recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively.

Tecentriq Hybreza is formulated using the Enhanze drug delivery technology, which uses the enzyme hyaluronidase to create channels in tissue and improve the absorption and distribution of large-molecule drugs, such as atezolizumab, that are usually given IV. 

Tecentriq Hybreza gained FDA approval on 12 September 2024. Tecentriq (IV formulation) first gained FDA approval on May 18, 2016.

Tecentriq Hybreza uses

Tecentriq Hybreza is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with:

• Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer. Tecentriq Hybreza may be used:
  • alone as a treatment for NSCLC to help prevent your lung cancer from coming back after your tumor(s) has been removed by surgery and you have received platinum-based chemotherapy, and you have stage 2 to stage 3A NSCLC and your cancer tests positive for “PD-L1.”
  • alone as your first treatment when NSCLC has spread or grown, and your cancer tests positive for “high PD-L1,” and your tumor does not have an abnormal “EGFR” or “ALK” gene.
  • with the medicines bevacizumab, paclitaxel, and carboplatin as your first treatment when your NSCLC has spread or grown, and is a type called “non-squamous NSCLC,” and your tumor does not have an abnormal “EGFR” or “ALK” gene.
  • with the medicines paclitaxel protein-bound and carboplatin as your first treatment when your lung cancer has spread or grown, and is a type called “non-squamous NSCLC,” and your tumor does not have an abnormal “EGFR” or “ALK” gene.
  • alone when your lung cancer has spread or grown, and you have tried chemotherapy that contains platinum, and it did not work or is no longer working. If your tumor has an abnormal “EGFR” or “ALK” gene, you should have also tried an FDA-approved therapy for tumors with these abnormal genes, and it did not work or is no longer working.
• Small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a less common type of lung cancer. Tecentriq Hybreza may be used with the chemotherapy medicines carboplatin and etoposide as your first treatment when your lung cancer is a type called “extensive-stage SCLC,” which means that it has spread or grown.
• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a type of liver cancer. Tecentriq Hybreza may be used with the medicine bevacizumab when your liver cancer has spread or cannot be removed by surgery, and you have not received other medicines by mouth or injection through your vein (IV) to treat your cancer.
• Melanoma, a type of skin cancer. Tecentriq Hybreza may be used with the medicines cobimetinib and vemurafenib when your melanoma has spread to other parts of the body or cannot be removed by surgery, and has a certain type of abnormal “BRAF” gene. Your healthcare provider will perform a test to make sure this combination treatment is right for you.
• Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS), a type of soft tissue tumor (cancer). Tecentriq Hybreza can be used alone when your sarcoma has spread to other parts of the body or cannot be removed by surgery.

It is not known if Tecentriq Hybreza is safe and effective in children. It is not approved for use in children.

Tecentriq Hybreza side effects

The most common side effects of Tecentriq Hybreza when used alone in NSCLC include:

• feeling tired or weak
• muscle or bone pain
• cough
• shortness of breath
• decreased appetite.

Other common side effects experienced with Tecentriq that may also be experienced with Tecentriq Hybreza, with or without other medications, include:

• rash
• headache
• nausea
• high blood pressure
• vomiting
• constipation
• dizziness
• bleeding
• diarrhea
• trouble sleeping
• stomach-area (abdominal) pain
• low thyroid hormone levels
• fever
• anxiety
• irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia)
• numbness, pain, tingling, or burning in your hands or feet
• hair loss
• too much protein in the urine
• Liver injury
• mouth swelling (sometimes with sores)
• sunburn or sun sensitivity
• swelling of legs or arms
• itching.

Serious side effects and warnings

Tecentriq Hybreza can cause the following serious side effects.

Because Tecentriq Hybrezais a medicine that may treat certain cancers by working with your immune system, it 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, symptoms may include cough, shortness of breath, or chest pain
• Intestinal problems, symptoms may include 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, symptoms may include 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), or bleeding or bruising more easily than normal
• Hormone gland problems, symptoms may include headaches that will not go away or unusual headaches, eye sensitivity to light, eye problems, rapid heartbeat, 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, symptoms may include a decrease in your amount of urine, blood in your urine, swelling of your ankles, loss of appetite
• Skin problems, and symptoms may include 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 Tecentriq Hybreza. 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 eyesight
• 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, or 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 and may happen if you underwent transplantation either before or after being treated with Tecentriq Hybreza. 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 Tecentriq Hybreza. 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 Tecentriq Hybrezaif you have severe side effects.

These are not all the possible side effects of Tecentriq Hybreza. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Related/similar drugs

Tecentriq Hybreza vs Tecentriq

The difference between Tecentriq Hybreza and Tecentriq is that Tecentriq Hybreza has an additional hyaluronidase ingredient in it which allows it to be administered subcutaneously (SC; under the skin) over approximately 7 minutes compared with Tecentriq that is administered as an intravenous (IV) infusion over 30-60 minutes.

Tecentriq Hybreza is not approved for children. But Tecentriq Hybreza and Tecentriq are both approved to treat the following cancers in adults: NSCLC, SCLC, HCC, melanoma, and alveolar soft part sarcoma.

Tecentriq Hybreza has a different dosage and administration frequency compared with Tecentriq.

Refer to the Tecentriq Hybreza Prescribing information or the Tecentriq Prescribing information for more information.

Before taking

Do not receive Tecentriq Hybreza if you are allergic to hyaluronidase, atezolizumab, Tecentriq, or any of the ingredients in Tecentriq Hybreza.

Before receiving Tecentriq Hybreza, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

• have immune system problems such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or lupus
• have received an organ transplant
• have received or plan to receive a stem cell transplant that uses donor stem cells (allogeneic)
• have received radiation treatment to your chest area
• have a condition that affects your nervous system, such as myasthenia gravis or Guillain-Barré syndrome
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Tecentriq Hybreza 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.

Pregnancy

Tecentriq Hybreza can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant or think you may be pregnant during treatment.

Females who are able to become pregnant:

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

Breastfeeding

It is not known if Tecentriq Hybreza passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment and for 5 months after the last dose of Tecentriq Hybreza.

How will I receive Tecentriq Hybreza?

Tecentriq Hybreza is administered by a healthcare provider as an injection under the skin of your thigh over about 7 minutes.

Tecentriq Hybreza is given every 3 weeks.

Your healthcare provider will decide how many treatments you need.

Your healthcare provider will test your blood to check you for certain side effects.

For treatment of a type of skin cancer called melanoma, your healthcare provider will also prescribe you cobimetinib and vemurafenib. Take cobimetinib and vemurafenib exactly as your healthcare provider tells you.

Tecentriq Hybreza dosing

The usual recommended Tecentriq Hybreza dosage for adults is 15 mL (1,875 mg atezolizumab and 30,000 units hyaluronidase) given subcutaneously by a healthcare provider into the thigh over approximately 7 minutes every 3 weeks.

What happens if I miss a dose of Tecentriq Hybreza?

If you miss any appointments, call your healthcare provider as soon as possible to reschedule your appointment for Tecentriq Hybreza.

What other drugs will affect Tecentriq Hybreza?

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

Tecentriq Hybreza ingredients

Active ingredients: atezolizumab and hyaluronidase-tqjs

Inactive ingredients: acetic acid, histidine, methionine, polysorbate 20, sucrose, water for injection.

Tecentriq Hybreza is supplied as a single dose vial for injection that contains 1,875 mg atezolizumab and 30,000 units hyaluronidase per 15 mL (125 mg/2,000 units per mL).

Who makes Tecentriq Hybreza?

Tecentriq Hybreza is made by Genentech, Inc., a member of the Roche Group.

Tecentriq hybreza Biosimilars

Biosimilar and interchangeable products are biological products that are highly similar to and have no clinically meaningful differences from the reference product.

Reference products

These are biological products that have already been approved by the FDA, against which biosimilar products are compared. There is 1 for Tecentriq Hybreza.

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