Monograph

L01FE01 - Cetuximab

Not porphyrinogenic

Rationale

No CYP-affinity. No conceivable effects on PXR activation. However, side effects such as nausea and vomiting may be potentially porphyrinogenic through reduction in caloric intake.

Chemical description

Cetuximab is a recombinant chimeric (human-murine) monoclonal antibody.

Therapeutic characteristics

Cetuximab is an antineoplastic agent used to treat colorectal cancer with metastases and cancers in the head and neck. It is administered as an intravenous infusion. Common adverse reactions of cetuximab that can be confused with an acute porphyric attack are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea and dyspnoea. Side effects such as nausea and vomiting may be potentially porphyrinogenic through reduction in caloric intake.

Metabolism and pharmacokinetics

Cetuximab is metabolized in the same way as as endogenous IgG. Non-CYP metabolism.

References

#	Citation details	PMID
*	Drug reference publications
1.	McEvoy GK, editor. Cetuximab. The AHFS Drug Information 2008. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists; 2009. Electronic version (25.05.10).
2.	Sweetman SC, editor. Martindale: The complete drug reference. Cetuximab. Pharmaceutical Press 2009.
*	Summary of Product Characteristics
3.	Norwegian medicines agency. Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). Erbitux.

Citation details

PMID

Drug reference publications

McEvoy GK, editor. Cetuximab. The AHFS Drug Information 2008. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists; 2009. Electronic version (25.05.10).

Sweetman SC, editor. Martindale: The complete drug reference. Cetuximab. Pharmaceutical Press 2009.

Summary of Product Characteristics

Norwegian medicines agency. Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). Erbitux.

Similar drugs

Explore alternative drugs in similar therapeutic classes L01F / L01FE or go back.

Tradenames and packages

From some sources, we get a list of packages (United Kingdom, Ireland, Estonia). Other sources contain more or less "clean" versions of the trade name (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Lithuania, Norway). What you see here is the raw data we get from each country, so there will appear to be duplicates. The bold names are the searchable terms. The gray names that follow are all mapped to the bolded term.

Note: The cleaning is done automatically by a proprietary algorithm, and it may produce errors. We strive to improve it continuously.

Netherlands

Erbitux · Erbitux 5 mg/ml, oplossing voor infusie

United Kingdom

Erbitux · Erbitux 100mg/20ml solution for infusion vials · Erbitux 100mg/50ml solution for infusion vials · Erbitux 500mg/100ml solution for infusion vials

Denmark