This medication is a poly (adenosine diphosphate [ADP]-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor. Cancers related to BRCA 1 or 2 mutations seem to rely on PARP to repair damaged DNA in cancer cells, allowing them to continue to divide. By inhibiting PARP, tumor growth may be slowed or stopped.
Sevabertinib is a kinase inhibitor. A kinase is an enzyme that promotes cell growth. There are many types of kinases, which control different phases of cell growth. By blocking a particular enzyme from working, this medication can slow the growth of cancer cells. This medication is used to treat certain tumors that have a HER2 (ERBB2) tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) activating mutation.
Afatinib is a kinase inhibitor. It works by targeting and blocking epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase. In some cancers, this receptor is overactive, causing cells to grow and divide too fast. By inhibiting EGFR, afatinib prevents the uncontrolled growth of cells that contributes to tumor growth. Your oncology team will test your tumor for this abnormality, which must be present in order to receive the medication.
Certain mutated genes, called biomarkers, have been linked to some forms of lung cancer. Targeted therapy medications are used to treat some lung cancers that have these biomarkers.
Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki is an antibody conjugate (an antibody with a cell-killing medication attached to it) directed against a protein called HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), found on the surface of some cancer cells. Antibodies, which are normally found in the body, are developed by the immune system to destroy foreign material (such as a germ). Fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki is a manmade antibody that causes the immune system to attack cancer cells that have the HER2 protein on them. Along with this antibody, fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki has a medication attached to it called a topoisomerase inhibitor. Topoisomerase inhibitors work against certain enzymes, called topoisomerases, to stop cancer cells from replicating their DNA.
When breast cancer is diagnosed, the tumor tissue is tested for several “biomarkers”, which are substances or abnormalities that can be detected in the tumor tissue and used to predict prognosis and guide treatment recommendations.