Halaven

Generic Name: eribulin (e RIB ue lin)

Brand Names: Halaven

What is eribulin?

Eribulin is a cancer medication that interferes with the growth and spread of cancer cells in the body.

Eribulin is used to treat breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body.

Eribulin is usually given after at least 2 other combinations of chemotherapy medications have been tried without successful treatment of symptoms.

Eribulin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What is the most important information I should know about eribulin?

Do not use eribulin if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby.

Before you receive eribulin, tell your doctor if you have liver or kidney disease, congestive heart failure, a heart rhythm disorder, a personal or family history of Long QT syndrome, or an electrolyte imbalance (such as low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood).

Eribulin can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections. Your blood will need to be tested often. Your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results of these tests. Visit your doctor regularly.

Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.

Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, mouth sores, pain or burning when you urinate, pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, fast or uneven heart rate, severe numbness or tingling in your hands and feet, extreme thirst, increased urination, leg discomfort, muscle weakness or limp feeling.

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking eribulin?

You should not use eribulin if you are allergic to it.

To make sure you can safely take eribulin, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

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  liver disease;

  
  


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  kidney disease;

  
  


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  slow heartbeats, congestive heart failure;

  
  


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  heart rhythm disorder;

  
  


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  personal or family history of Long QT syndrome; or

  
  


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  an electrolyte imbalance (such as low levels of potassium or magnesium in your blood).

  
  

FDA pregnancy category D. Do not use eribulin if you are pregnant. It could harm the unborn baby. Use effective birth control, and tell your doctor if you become pregnant during treatment. It is not known whether eribulin passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while you are using eribulin.

How is eribulin given?

Eribulin is injected into a vein through an IV. You will receive this injection in a clinic or hospital setting.

Eribulin is usually given once per week for 2 weeks in a row, on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day treatment cycle. This 21-day cycle is then repeated until your doctor decides that eribulin is no longer an appropriate treatment for your condition. Follow your doctor's instructions.

Eribulin can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections. Your blood will need to be tested often. Your cancer treatments may be delayed based on the results of these tests. Your heart function may also need to be checked using an electrocardiograph or ECG (sometimes called an EKG). Visit your doctor regularly.

What happens if I miss a dose?

Call your doctor for instructions if you miss an appointment for your eribulin injection.

What happens if I overdose?

Seek emergency medical attention or call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Overdose symptoms may include some of the serious side effects listed in this medication guide.

What should I avoid while receiving eribulin?

Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.

Eribulin side effects

Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficult breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Call your doctor at once if you have a serious side effect such as:

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  fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, sores in your mouth and throat;

  
  


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  pain or burning when you urinate;

  
  


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  pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate, trouble concentrating;

  
  


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  severe numbness or tingling in your hands and feet;

  
  


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  low potassium (confusion, uneven heart rate, extreme thirst, increased urination, leg discomfort, muscle weakness or limp feeling);

  
  

Less serious side effects may include:

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  weakness, tired feeling;

  
  


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  hair loss;

  
  


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  nausea, constipation, loss of appetite;

  
  


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  headache; or

  
  


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  muscle or joint pain.

  
  

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

What other drugs will affect eribulin?

Tell your doctor about all other medicines you use, especially:

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  arsenic trioxide (Trisenox);

  
  


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  tacrolimus (Prograf);

  
  


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  an antibiotic such as clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E.E.S., EryPed, Ery-Tab, Erythrocin, Pediazole), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox), or pentamidine (NebuPent, Pentam);

  
  


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  an antidepressant such as amitriptylline (Elavil, Vanatrip, Limbitrol), clomipramine (Anafranil), or desipramine (Norpramin);

  
  


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  anti-malaria medications such as chloroquine (Aralen), or mefloquine (Lariam);

  
  


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  heart rhythm medicine such as amiodarone (Cordarone, Pacerone), dofetilide (Tikosyn), disopyramide (Norpace), ibutilide (Corvert), procainamide (Procan, Pronestyl), propafenone (Rythmol), quinidine (Quin-G), or sotalol (Betapace);

  
  


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  medicine to prevent or treat nausea and vomiting such as dolasetron (Anzemet), droperidol (Inapsine), or ondansetron (Zofran);

  
  


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  medicines to treat psychiatric disorders, such as chlorpromazine (Thorazine), clozapine (FazaClo, Clozaril), haloperidol (Haldol), pimozide (Orap), thioridazine (Mellaril), or ziprasidone (Geodon);

  
  


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  migraine headache medicine such as sumatriptan (Imitrex, Treximet) or zolmitriptan (Zomig);

  
  


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  narcotic medication such as methadone (Methadose, Diskets, Dolophine).

  
  

There may be other drugs that can interact with eribulin. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor.

More Halaven resources

• Halaven Side Effects (in more detail)
• Halaven Use in Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
• Halaven Drug Interactions
• Halaven Support Group
• 3 Reviews for Halaven - Add your own review/rating

• Halaven Prescribing Information (FDA)


• Halaven Advanced Consumer (Micromedex) - Includes Dosage Information


• Halaven MedFacts Consumer Leaflet (Wolters Kluwer)


• Halaven Consumer Overview

Compare Halaven with other medications

• Breast Cancer
• Breast Cancer, Metastatic

Where can I get more information?

• Your pharmacist can provide more information about eribulin.

See also: Halaven side effects (in more detail)