Kadcyla® 100mg Injection (Trastuzumab Emtansine) – Targeted Therapy (Rx)

Quick answer: Kadcyla 100mg (trastuzumab emtansine) is an antibody-drug conjugate for HER2-positive breast cancer, used after surgery when some cancer remains and for breast cancer that has spread. A nurse gives it as a drip into a vein every three weeks. MedHub supplies it on prescription with cold-chain delivery across Pakistan.

For patients and families

What is Kadcyla 100mg?

Kadcyla 100mg is Roche’s brand of trastuzumab emtansine, also called T-DM1. It joins two medicines into one molecule: trastuzumab, an antibody that finds the HER2 protein on breast cancer cells, and DM1, a strong chemotherapy that stops cells dividing. The antibody acts like a delivery van, carrying the chemotherapy straight into HER2-positive cancer cells while sparing much of the healthy tissue. It is not the same as plain trastuzumab and the two must never be swapped.

What is it used for?

Oncologists prescribe it only for HER2-positive breast cancer:

• Early breast cancer: after surgery, when cancer is still found in the breast or lymph nodes despite earlier treatment with a taxane and trastuzumab.
• Metastatic or inoperable breast cancer: in patients who have already received trastuzumab and a taxane.

Your doctor confirms HER2 status on a tissue test before starting treatment.

How is it given?

A nurse gives it as an infusion into a vein at a hospital or day-care unit. The first infusion runs over about 90 minutes, and later ones may be shorter if you tolerate it well. The team observes you during and after each drip for reactions. Your doctor decides the dose, which is based on your body weight, and the total number of cycles.

Common side effects

• Tiredness, headache and muscle or joint aches
• Nausea and constipation
• Low platelet count, causing nosebleeds or easy bruising
• Raised liver enzymes on blood tests
• Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet

Contact your care team straight away if you notice yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, bleeding that is hard to stop, new breathlessness or a dry cough, or swollen ankles.

Storage

Keep the unopened vial in the fridge at 2–8°C and never freeze it. The hospital pharmacy dissolves the powder just before the infusion. Read about how we keep medicines cold during delivery.

How to order from MedHub

1. Send a photo of your prescription on WhatsApp.
2. Our pharmacist confirms the price and stock with you.
3. We pack the vial in a cold-chain box and deliver it to your city or hospital.

Families in the UAE, UK and Saudi Arabia often arrange Kadcyla 100mg for mothers and sisters in Pakistan through us. Larger doses usually combine this vial with Kadcyla 160mg. Patients earlier in treatment may receive Herceptin 440mg (trastuzumab). See all our oncology medicines.

For healthcare professionals

• Composition: trastuzumab emtansine 100 mg per single-dose vial, powder for concentrate for solution for infusion (20 mg/ml after reconstitution with 5 ml water for injection)
• Drug class: HER2-directed antibody-drug conjugate
• Indications: adjuvant treatment of HER2-positive early breast cancer with residual invasive disease in the breast and/or lymph nodes after neoadjuvant taxane and HER2-targeted therapy; HER2-positive unresectable locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane, separately or in combination
• Mechanism: trastuzumab binds HER2 subdomain IV; after internalization and lysosomal degradation, DM1 (a maytansine derivative linked by a stable thioether linker) is released and inhibits microtubule assembly, causing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis; retains trastuzumab-mediated ADCC and HER2 signalling inhibition
• Label dose: 3.6 mg/kg IV every 3 weeks; first infusion over 90 minutes, later infusions over 30 minutes if tolerated; early breast cancer for 14 cycles unless recurrence or unacceptable toxicity; metastatic disease until progression; do not exceed 3.6 mg/kg and do not substitute with trastuzumab
• Monitoring / key precautions: LVEF before and regularly during treatment; serum transaminases and bilirubin before each dose (hepatotoxicity, nodular regenerative hyperplasia); platelet count before each dose; watch for interstitial lung disease, infusion reactions, haemorrhage and peripheral neuropathy; embryo-fetal toxicity, effective contraception required
• Storage: 2–8°C, do not freeze
• Manufacturer: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Switzerland
• Marketed in Pakistan by: Roche Pakistan Ltd
• Pack: 1 vial

Frequently asked questions

What is Kadcyla 100mg used for?

Kadcyla 100mg treats HER2-positive breast cancer, both early cancer that remains after pre-surgery treatment and breast cancer that has spread after trastuzumab and a taxane.

What is the Kadcyla 100mg price in Pakistan?

Kadcyla 100mg costs Rs 103,800 per vial. Prices can change with supply, so message us on WhatsApp for today’s price before you order.

Can I get Kadcyla 100mg in Lahore, Karachi or Peshawar?

Yes. We deliver in cold-chain packaging to Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad and other cities.

Do I need a prescription to buy Kadcyla 100mg?

Yes. It is a prescription-only cancer medicine for confirmed HER2-positive disease. Send your oncologist’s prescription on WhatsApp and our pharmacist reviews it.

How is Kadcyla 100mg given?

A nurse gives it as a drip into a vein every three weeks at a hospital or day-care unit. The first drip takes about 90 minutes, and later ones are often shorter.

Is Kadcyla 100mg the same as trastuzumab?

No. Kadcyla carries a chemotherapy medicine attached to the trastuzumab antibody, so it acts differently and has its own dose. Pharmacies and hospitals must never swap one for the other.

Why do doctors use Kadcyla 100mg and 160mg vials together?

The dose depends on body weight, so it rarely matches one vial. Combining 100mg and 160mg vials helps the pharmacy reach the exact amount with as little waste as possible.

Can I order Kadcyla 100mg for my mother in Pakistan from abroad?

Yes. Families in the UAE, UK and Saudi Arabia order through MedHub. Send the prescription on WhatsApp, and we arrange payment and chilled delivery to the hospital.

Last updated: 3 October 2026

This information is for general awareness only and is not medical advice. Always consult your doctor before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.