How long do you take Alecensa for?

Medically reviewed by Melisa Puckey, BPharm. Last updated on Jan 24, 2023.

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.

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

Alectinib versus Crizotinib in Untreated ALK-Positive Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1704795
Alecensa Health Professional Information: https://www.drugs.com/pro/alecensa.html