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Tagrisso (osimertinib)

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By Editorial Team

2 min read

Reviewed by: HU Medical Review Board | Last reviewed: September 2023 | Last updated: November 2023

Tagrisso® (osimertinb) is a targeted therapy that is used to treat adults with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) genes with exon 19 deletions or exon 21 (L858R) substitution mutations. Tagrisso is used to:1

  • Help prevent your lung cancer from coming back after your tumor(s) has been removed by surgery, or
  • As your first treatment when your lung cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic), or
  • When your lung cancer has spread to other parts of the body (metastatic) and you have had previous treatment with an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) medicine that did not work or is no longer working

About 10 to 15 percent of people with lung cancer are EGFR-positive. People with this type of lung cancer tend to have no smoking history.1,2

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Your doctor will perform a genetic test to find out whether Tagrisso is right for you.

What are the ingredients in Tagrisso?

The active ingredient in Tagrisso is osimertinib.1

How does Tagrisso work?

Tagrisso is an EGFR inhibitor. It is designed to block the activating sites (tyrosine kinases) of several proteins in cancer cells. These proteins can stimulate cancer growth when the tumor has an EGFR mutation. By blocking how the proteins work, Tagrisso may shrink the cancer or slow down its growth.1

What are the possible side effects?

The most common side effects of Tagrisso include:1

  • Low white blood cell counts
  • Low platelet counts
  • Diarrhea
  • Low red blood cell counts
  • Rash, dry skin
  • Muscle, bone, or joint pain
  • Changes in your nails, such as pain, inflammation, and brittleness
  • Mouth sores
  • Tiredness
  • Cough

These are not all the possible side effects of Tagrisso. Talk to your doctor about what to expect when taking Tagrisso. You also should call your doctor if you have any changes that concern you when taking Tagrisso.

Other things to know

Before starting treatment with Tagrisso, tell your doctor if you have:1

  • Lung or breathing problems
  • Heart problems, including a condition called long QTc syndrome
  • Problems with your electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, or magnesium
  • A history of eye problems

Tagrisso can harm an unborn baby. If you or your partner can become pregnant, you should use birth control during treatment and for some time after the last dose of Tagrisso. You should also not breastfeed during treatment with Tagrissof and for some time after the last dose. Talk to your doctor about your options for birth control and breastfeeding while taking Tagrisso.1

Before beginning treatment for lung cancer, tell your doctor about all your health conditions and any other drugs, vitamins, or supplements you are taking. This includes over-the-counter drugs.

For more information, read the full prescribing information of Tagrisso.