Phesgo (the injection) vs Herceptin + Perjeta IV

hi there - I'm stage IV so I'm on treatment “indefinitely"

the short answer is yes PHESGO is “ new"but it's the same two drugs in a different delivery system,

My experience —I have been on Herceptin and Perjeta since Oct 2017

Started with infusions - there was no “shot" at that time

In March 2020 I went to Herceptin Hylecta (a shot) and Perjeta infusion

When PHESGO became available, in the interests of convenience and getting out of the infusion center more quickly, I asked for it.

I've been on PHESGO since July.

I just had a PET Scan and my scan result was “no evidence of disease" - same as every other scan for the past two years,

So - anecdotally, PHESGO is working just as well as H&P infusions did in my case.

Hope that helps.

tracer - also important to note that Herceptin, Perjeta, and Phesgo are all Genentech products - the Phesgo is their original infused drugs in an injectable form - not biosimilars or generics.

Yes, PHESGO is every three weeks in the thigh. I don’t find it very painful but if I want it, my nurses will spray the area with numbing spray before the shot. Your friend can ask about that.

Sometimes it burns a little on the way out. the needle has to stay in for some minutes (8 minutes I think?) and I think the burning might be due to some medication leaking from the needle though I am not sure about it.

I've had Phesgo once, then Herceptin Hylecta because the breast surgeon wanted to stop Perjeta for surgery, then back to Phesgo. The nurses inject me for five minutes. The last nurse said two would be fine, but I insisted on five. The first shot will likely hurt. There is a solution in there that acts as an expander to move the cells under the skin and allow for better absorption. It hurt for the first two minutes whenever more solution was being injected. They switched to the other thigh for the Hylecta shot and that hurt as well. The third shot didn't hurt nearly as much. That one was in the thigh I started off with. So, I am guessing that the initial shot is kind of painful, but manageable, then the remaining aren't as painful. Regardless, it is only a five minute shot and about one or two minutes of it is painful. Removing the needle is slightly painful too, but it feels like when you get an IV removed.

Thank you so much. Nurses alternated the thighs to my friend too but the bruise was as big as a walnut and around a lighter bruise as big as an orange. She said it is very painful even with numbing spray because the separation of skin from muscle creates the pain. Somone recommended to try the side of the thigh. I hope it works for her because she is going through so much.

Lily, I got a similar reaction as your friend with the first shot. The injection site was slightly bruised about the size of a quarter, and then about an hour later a 4x4 sized raised skin color spot happens. It looks like orange peel skin or flat goosebumps. I noticed with my last two shots, the nurses were very good about not letting the needle move even just a little. I didn't get the raised bruising. Still had the raised chicken skin looking area though. It only lasts for about two days. I attribute it to the expander in the solution. Maybe it would be better to do five minutes so it's slowly being injected. I've read people have had it over eight minutes, but nothing in the literature indicates it for that long. I asked my nurses to double check.

If I’m remembering correctly (and I may not be) my Hylecta shot used to be 5 minutes and the PHESGO shot is 8 minutes. It could be I was told the first shot would be 8 and I just assumed that each shot was 8 - but like I said, not sure and I wouldn’t commit either way. I’m going to ask at my appt next week just for my own knowledge.

Hello…I have been getting the Phesgo injection for the last year. I just got my last one last week. I was thrilled to be able to get the injection rather than an infusion. As previous posters have stated delivering it in an injection is “new” but the drugs are not. The first injection took 8 minutes because it is a larger loading does. The injection takes 5 minutes and I hang out for another 15 to make sure I don’t have a reaction. I love being in and out in less than 30 minutes. I have never had any pain or discomfort. They alternate thighs and usually use the side. My nurse said it sometimes burns if the medication is cold….I have never noticed any issues. After all the other crap I’ve been through the injections are easy peasy. Let me know if you have any questikns