Tagrisso 40mg tablet contains the active substance Osimertinib. It is an antineoplastic drug that belongs to the class protein kinase inhibitor. It is used to treat adults with a type of lung cancer called non-small cell lung cancer. If a test has shown that your cancer has certain changes in a gene called EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor), then your cancer will likely respond to treatment with this medicine. 

Tagrisso 40mg tablet can be given to you after the complete removal of your cancer as a post-surgical adjuvant treatment. It can also be given as the first-line medication for cancer that has spread to other body parts. It is also used to treat certain types of  NSCLC that have spread to other body parts in adults who could not be treated successfully with similar chemotherapy medications.  Do not give this medicine to children or adolescents under the age of 18.   

Do not take Tagrisso 40mg tablet if you are allergic to Osimertinib or any other ingredients of this medicine. Before initiating the treatment, inform your physician if you have kidney, heart, or eye problems and if you have suffered from lung inflammation. Report any symptoms of difficulty breathing together with a cough or fever, severe peeling of your skin, persistent fever, bleeding or bruising more easily, increased tiredness, pale skin, and infection.

• Certain types of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

Tagrisso 40mg tablet is a kinase inhibitor that works by blocking epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and may help to slow or stop your lung cancer from growing. It may also help to reduce the size of the tumor and prevent the tumor from reoccurring again after being removed by the surgery. 

Inform your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, nutritional and vitamin supplements, and herbal products. Certain medications may interact with the effects of Tagrisso 40mg tablet and reduce its effectiveness by causing undesirable side effects. 

• Store Tagrisso 40mg tablet at room temperature (25°C)
• keep the tablet away from the reach of children and pets.
• If you forgot to take a dose, take it as soon as you remember. However, if it is nearly time for the next dose, skip the missed dose.
• Do not take a double dose to make up a forgotten dose.

Your doctor will decide the dose and duration of the treatment based on your disease condition, severity, and other factors. Take the tablets as prescribed by your doctor. Do not break, crush, split, or chew the tablets. Swallow the tablet whole with a glass of water. Take this medicine with or without food.  If you cannot swallow the tablets, you can dissolve them as per your doctor's advice. 

Side effects are unwanted symptoms caused by medicines. Even though all drugs cause side effects, not everyone gets them. 

 Common

• Low WBC and platelets
• Diarrhea, decreased appetite
• Anemia
• Rash
• Muscle and joint pain
• Nail changes
• Dry skin
• Tiredness
• Cough
• Inflamed and sore mouth

Serious

• Decreased heart function, irregular heartbeats
• Breathing difficulty together with a cough or fever
• Eye problems
• Anemia
• Skin lesions

Tagrisso 40mg tablet may interact with oral contraceptives; hence discuss with your doctor the most appropriate method of contraception. If you are a male patient with a female partner of reproductive potential, use contraceptives during the treatment and for 4 months after the last dose. Your doctor will regularly do lab tests to check whether the medicine is working. Do not breastfeed during the treatment with this medicine and for 2 weeks after your last dose. This medicine may impair fertility in females and males of reproductive potential; consult your doctor if you are planning for pregnancy. 

1. TAGRISSO 80 mg film-coated tablets - Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) - (emc) [Internet]. www.medicines.org.uk. [Revised on July 2022] [cited 2023 Mar 28]. Available from: https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/7615/pil
2. Highlights Of Prescribing Information - Osimertinib. [revised on 2020] [cited 2023 Mar 28]. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2020/208065s021lbl.pdf
3. Edward Chu, Cancer Chemotherapy, Lange’s Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, 14th Edition, 2018, 948-976.