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Alectinib

Pronunciation: uh-LEK-tih-nib
Generic name: alectinib
Brand name: Alecensa
Dosage form: oral capsules
Drug class: Multikinase inhibitors

Medically reviewed by Philip Thornton, DipPharm. Last updated on Aug 23, 2023.

What is alectinib?

Alectinib is a type of cancer medication used to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in people who have an error in their anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene. This error is found in about 5 percent of people with NSCLC.

The defect in the ALK gene causes it to fuse with other genes, which causes cells to grow out of control and leads to ALK-positive cancer.

Alectinib works by blocking the ALK receptor, which helps to stop or slow the spread of cancer. Alectinib is a ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor.

Alectinib was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015.

What is alectinib used for?

Alectinib is a prescription medicine used to treat people with NSCLC:

It is not known if alectinib is safe and effective in children.

Important information

Alectinib may cause serious side effects, including:

See "What are the side effects of alectinib?" below for more information about side effects.

What should I tell my doctor before taking alectinib?

Before you take alectinib, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

How should I take alectinib?

What happens if I miss a dose?

If you miss a dose of alectinib, do not take the missed dose. Take your next dose at your regular time.

What should I avoid while taking alectinib?

Dosing information

Rybrevant, Opdivo, methotrexate, Keytruda, pembrolizumab, cisplatin, Avastin, Tagrisso

What are the side effects of alectinib?

Alectinib may cause serious side effects, including:

The most common side effects of alectinib include:

These are not all of the possible side effects of alectinib. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Interactions

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

Does alectinib interact with my other drugs?

Enter medications to view a detailed interaction report using our Drug Interaction Checker.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Alectinib can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you become pregnant during treatment with alectinib or think you may be pregnant.

Females who are able to become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment with alectinib and for 1 week after the final dose of alectinib.

Males who have female partners that are able to become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment with alectinib and for 3 months after the final dose of alectinib.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if alectinib passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment with alectinib and for 1 week after the final dose of alectinib. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby during this time.

Storage

Keep alectinib and all medicines out of the reach of children.

What are the ingredients in alectinib?

Active ingredient: alectinib

Inactive ingredients: lactose monohydrate, hydroxypropylcellulose, sodium lauryl sulfate, magnesium stearate and carboxymethylcellulose calcium. Capsule shell contains: hypromellose, carrageenan, potassium chloride, titanium dioxide, corn starch, and carnauba wax. Printing ink contains: red iron oxide (E172), yellow iron oxide (E172), FD& C Blue No. 2 aluminum lake (E132), carnauba wax, white shellac, and glyceryl monooleate.

Alectinib is distributed under the brandname Alecensa by Genentech, Inc., A Member of the Roche Group, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080-4990.

Popular FAQ

What is the mechanism of action for Alecensa (alectinib)?

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

More FAQ

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.