Women who are pregnant or are planning to get pregnant should not be given Perjeta. Perjeta can cause embryo death and birth defects. It’s important that you don’t get pregnant while you’re getting Perjeta; you must use effective birth control.
The most common side effects of Perjeta are:
- hair loss
- low white blood cell count (neutropenia)
- peripheral neuropathy (numbness, tingling or burning in the hands and feet)
Because Perjeta is likely to be given with Herceptin, it’s important to know that problems with heart function or developing heart failure can sometimes be side effects of Herceptin. While research has found that adding Perjeta to Herceptin doesn’t increase the risk of heart problems, your doctor will likely want to test your heart function before and during treatment with Perjeta, Herceptin, and Taxotere.